


Heather, Harry, and the Chamber of Secrets (Year 2)

by bushViperCutie



Series: Heather Potter [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Basilisks, Book 2: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Gen, Heir of Slytherin, Hogwarts, Hogwarts Forbidden Forest, Hogwarts Second Year, POV Female Character, Quidditch, Slytherin, Slytherin Common Room
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-03-03 18:47:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 81,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24760297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bushViperCutie/pseuds/bushViperCutie
Summary: Follow Heather Potter (Harry’s often forgotten twin sister) through her second year at Hogwarts!(Made for Pro Snape Fandom)
Relationships: Harry Potter & Original Female Character(s), Hermione Granger & Harry Potter & Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger & Original Female Character(s), Ron Weasley & Original Female Character(s)
Series: Heather Potter [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1785106
Comments: 12
Kudos: 11





	1. Grounded Behind Bars

#  **~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~**

Uncle Vernon was pacing the living room floor holding his hands behind his back and his nose high in the air. Heather and Harry sat on the sofa with their hands on their laps internally groaning at their Uncle’s words.

“If I hear so much as a noise, coming from upstairs, you will be punished. If I see you at all while the Masons are here, you will be punished. Do I make myself clear?”

They nodded.

“Good, now vacuum the room and get upstairs. And do not – “

“Come out,” the twins interrupted.

Uncle Vernon glared at them before retreating into the kitchen to talk to Aunt Petunia. Heather and Harry got to work with the vacuum cleaner. They took turns running the cleaner throughout the room, lifting up the sides of the coffee table and sofa, under their uncle’s chair, and directly under the television set where Duddley liked to sit eating snack – or spilling them.

They placed the vacuum back in the cupboard in the kitchen – because the cupboard they used to sleep in was now locked and filled with all their Hogwarts things – and headed upstairs with only a few granola bars to have for dinner.

They both sat on the bed and opened a bar to share. Harry propped up his pillow and sat with his back on the headboard while Heather sat with her back uncomfortably on the footboard. She sighed and let her head swing back, bored already.

For the past several weeks they had been having fun messing with Dudley, scaring him, because none of the Dursleys yet knew they could not use magic. Dudley ran from them whenever they were together and hid behind his mother. Petunia must feel a great sense of motherly joy whenever that happens because often times she pretends not to notice. Uncle Vernon, however, did not tolerate even the word ‘magic’ to be said in the house.

“Harry, this is by far the worst birthday we’ve had. Last year was oddly the best, and now it’s the worst.”

“That just means next year will be great again, doesn’t it?” Harry laughed at Heather.

She refused to see how he could be so calm the last several days. Ever since they had gotten back she’s wanted nothing more than to go over her classes, practice proper wand techniques, and even just open up the potions kit to smell the familiarly smelly materials she’d become so used to. That had been her plan, and the second they stepped through the door, the Dursleys ruined it.

Harry sighed, “I know… I want to ride my broom or just let Hedwig out – “ Hedwig hooted, “but what can we do? Its locked.”

Heather raised her brows at him, “Since when has that stopped you?”

Harry rolled his eyes and finished his half of the bar, “Our wands are locked away.”

There was a knock on their bedroom door. Heather looked suspiciously at it before crossing the room and opening the door. “Duddley, what do you want.”

Dudley pushed passed Heather and looked around, frowning at the bare room where all his stuff used to be. “What, no friends to send you presents?”

“Get out of here or else!” Harry knelt on the bed and pointed his finger at Dudley.

He looked to Heather, who copied Harry, and backed up against the wall. “Dad said no magic! I’ll tell!”

“Fine. We won’t use magic… I’ll just make a potion that’ll turn you into slug,” Heather crept closer and held up her hands, wiggling her fingers as if she were conjuring up the potion at that moment.

Dudley pushed passed her and exited their room. “Why don’t you magic yourself some friends,” he yelled back at them as he barreled down the stairs.

Not only was Dudley larger in size and height, he was also larger in annoyance. Vernon had locked Hedwig in her cage for fear they would be sending or responding to letters from other wizards, but Duddley had noticed that no letters were being sent to them anyways.

Heather shut the door and laid on the mattress on the floor. She pulled out her sketchbook from under the bed and flipped it open, looking through the notes she’d written next to the sketches of plants. These would have to do.

“Heather? Why do you think we haven’t received anything?” Harry leaned over the bed, “Ron said he’d invite us over… Not even Hermione – She wrote to us almost every day when we stayed at Hogwarts for the holidays.”

Heather shrugged, not wanting to talk about it. She was used to having no one to talk to besides Harry; what she wasn’t used to was having friends. If they had forgotten about them already… then life was normal. Wasn’t it?

They heard the doorbell ring and the front door open. Heather couldn’t make out what Duddley was saying but his voice was unusually high and unnaturally kind. She heard Harry snicker and she couldn’t help but laugh as well. Duddley could be a very well-trained monkey when he wanted to be. She wondered what they had offered him as a bribe.

“Harry,” Heather had a terrible idea she needed to share immediately. “Harry… let’s take back our stuff.”

“What?” Harry’s head appeared above hers as he leaned over the bed again. His brows furrowed together, “How? We can’t leave this room and if we make any noise we’ll get into trouble. AND WE DON’T HAVE OUR WANDS.”

Heather pushed his head back as she sat up, closing her book. “But they must keep the key in their bedroom. We can get it while they’re all downstairs. Then we go down and – and just get my books and your broom.” Heather smiled at Harry, hopeful that he’d agree.

Harry hardly took any time to think about it because he was already on his way to the door. “That’s perfect! You keep look-out,” he opened the door and exited the room.

Heather’s heart gave a slight jolt. She was hoping he’d give it some more thought… In fact, she hadn’t given it enough thought. She stood up and tiptoes out into the upstairs landing. She could hear her aunt’s shrill forced laughter from the living room.

Harry came out of their aunt and uncle’s room with a small metal key hung around his finger. “Their room is awful; worse than Duddley’s.”

“Shh, let’s go.”

They sat on the top stair and crept down the stairs on their bottoms. They moved down the stairs like sloths, making as little noise as possible. They reached the bottom stair and paused. Heather heard Uncle Vernon tell a joke and as soon as everyone burst out into laughter, they hurried to the cupboard door.

Harry unlocked the door and slowly opened it. He reached inside, and careful to not shift anything, retrieved his broom. He moved back to let Heather grab her books while pressing himself and the broom to the wall.

Heather opened the door further and stuck her head in. She opened her trunk and rummaged through it carefully. She pulled out her bag and stepped back, closing the door and locking it back up. Swinging the bag over her shoulder, she joined Harry and waited for the perfect opportunity.

She heard them stand and make their way to the table, pulling out chairs. They took that opportunity and headed back up. They split up at the landing – Harry returned the key and Heather headed inside their room.

She sat on the floor mattress and looked inside her bag, making sure she hadn’t forgotten anything. The door opened and Harry walked inside, leaning his broom against the wall near the door’s hinges.

“Heather… what – who’s that?”

Heather looked up at Harry and followed his finger which pointed past her towards the far wall. She turned around and nearly screamed, jumping to her feet and stumbled backward. There was a creature with giant pointed ears and huge round green eyes hiding behind the bed looking up at them. It was peeking its head out and holding the edge of the bed sheet in its hands. It hopped onto the bed, startling them both, and bowed so low its long nose touched the mattress.

Heather’s mouth fell open. She was at a total loss for words, and Harry was no better. He inched closer and bowed back, looking back at Heather. She shrugged.

“H-hello?”

At Harry’s greeting the creature straitened from its deep bow and smiled. “Mr. Potter! Harry Potter!”

“Shhhhhh!” The twins ran to the creature trying to cover its mouth. Its voice was so high and loud they were sure the Dursleys must have heard it.

It tilted its head at them and continued, in a quieter – but not by much – voice, “It’s been so long for such a high honor!”

“Of course,” Heather crossed her arms at Harry.

“Yeah. Thank you… Er – who…?” Harry sat at the desk chair and scooted closer to the end of the bed.

“Dobby the house-elf, sir. It would be such an honor to be addressed by you, sir Potter,” the house-elf bowed again.

“A house-elf? Who sent you?” Heather knelt on her mattress, closing her bag and pushing it under the bed.

“No one. Dobby, well, Dobby has come with something that must be said to you… Mr. Potter.”

“You can call him Harry, and I’m Heather… His sister if you didn’t know.”

Dobby’s eyes widened, “Sister! A Potter sister! Oh, double the honor it is!” He bowed to each.

Heather laughed at him; she has never been bowed to like some royal.

“Dobby… why don’t you sit and tell us – “

The elf’s eyes started pouring out tears. He opened his mouth and started crying very loudly as he wiped his eyes on his clothes – which was a pillowcase with holes. Heather stood up and pressed her hands to her mouth, turning her head franticly between the elf, Harry, and the door.

“Shhh! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! You don’t have to sit if you don’t want! I didn’t mean to offend you!” Harry pulled on his hair, mentally begging the elf to shut up before Vernon or Petunia hears.

The elf stopped suddenly, letting out a choked sob and shaking his head. “Harry Potter does not offend Dobby,” he whispered. “Dobby has not been asked to sit down – like an EQUAL – by any wizard!”

“Shhh! Dobby please be quiet! We’ll get in trouble,” Heather sat on the bed and put a finger to her mouth.

Dobby sat with her, dabbing at his eyes still as tears streamed down his cheeks. He fixed his eyes on Harry and hiccupped. Harry sat back down on his chair and sighed, relieved that the elf was calm now, or at least quiet.

“I’m sorry no one’s been kind enough to offer you a seat.”

“Bad lot of wizards you must know.” Harry instantly regretted his words.

Dobby opened his mouth to respond and closed it instantly, hopping to his feet and closing his hands into fists. “Bad! Bad Dobby! Bad!” He wailed, punching his head with his fists and pulling on his ears.

“No stop! What – what’s happening,” Harry held one of his arms while Heather grabbed onto the other one.

Hedwig had finally had enough of the yelling and started screeching to be let out. The loud noise from Hedwig woke up Heather’s toad and it too started making noise, croaking as loud as it could. Heather rushed to the cages and calmed the animals down with treats.

She turned back, “Please, Dobby. PLEASE try to stay quiet. Please.”

“Dobby had to be punished. Dobby almost talked poorly of his masters,” he eyed his hand again carefully closing it up once more.

Harry quickly changed the subject, “What do you mean your ‘masters’?”

“Do they know you’re here?”

Dobby looked shook his head, “The wizard family Dobby serves for life.”

“Who’s that?”

“Dobby cannot say! Dobby has only come here to warn the Potters… Dobby will have to punish himself greatly for this… The Potters must never return to Hogwarts!”

They stared down at Dobby for a long time. They could hear clinking and scraping of forks on dinner plates downstairs in the silence of their room. Dobby looked between them, waiting for their responses with patience. Harry opened his mouth, but it was Heather who spoke first.

“I – I’m sorry… but you can’t be serious. We’re going back to Hogwarts we – “

“We’re going back no matter what. That’s where we belong,” Harry shook his head.

Dobby mirrored him, “The Potters do not understand. It is safe here. No harm will come to either Potter here. Hogwarts is dangerous this year even without He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named! Terrible things will happen.”

“What will happen?!”

“Who will make this happen?!”

Their two questions were enough for Dobby. He jumped from the bed to the desk and started banging his head against the wall, yelping and screaming. Harry quickly pulled him away from the wall and grabbed him, though Dobby had started punching himself again.

Heather gasped as she heard the scraping of a chair and Uncle Vernon’s heavy footsteps on the stairs. They hid their Hogwarts things and Harry ran to the closet to stuffed Dobby in. She flung herself onto the floor mattress and pulled out her art book as Harry stretched out convincingly on the bed.

The door flew open. Uncle Vernon was fuming, red-faced and glaring. He clenched his jaw and stuck is finger out, pointing it at them. He stepped forward and looked down at them both.

“WHY are you making so much noise,” he hissed. “If you think I’ll let you ruin this dinner – ONE more sound I hear from you two and you WILL regret it.”

They nodded and he stormed out of the room, closing the door behind him and marching back downstairs. Heather let out her breath and stood up as Harry opened the closet door. Dobby jumped out and looked at the closed door with disgust.

“This is why we can’t stay here, Dobby. We have a home at Hogwarts… We have friends at Hogwarts,” Harry sat on the bed and looked at Hedwig.

“Some friends if they never write to the Potters,” Dobby nodded and shrugged.

The elf noticed Heather looking down at him sternly and turned to the closet, as if inspecting it. Heather knelt beside him. She cleared her throat and Dobby had no choice but to look at her.

“Dobby,” she spoke as calmly as possible. “How would you know, Dobby, that our friends aren’t writing to us?” She drummed her fingers on her thighs, waiting for an answer.

Dobby looked to Harry but saw he had narrowed his eyes at him. He quickly turned back to the closet and slid his hands across the smooth wood door.

“You’ve been stopping their letters from getting to us!”

Dobby jumped around and hopped from one foot to the other, holding out his hands to them, “Dobby had good reason to! Dobby had to protect Harry Potter!”

Heather stood suddenly, “Where are they? Why would you keep them from us! Ron and Hermione would never hurt us – “

“Dobby has them with him… And that’s not why they were taken,” he pulled letters out from behind his back and showed them to Heather and Harry. “If the Potters had no friends at Hogwarts, then the Potters would not want to go. That is what Dobby hoped.”

Heather bent down suddenly, “Well Dobby was wrong!” She was furious at the creature standing before her. She had thought Ron and Hermione had forgotten about them, stopped caring about them. They had friends for the first time in their lives and she was made to feel abandoned by them.

Harry held his hand out to Heather, trying to keep her from yelling too loud. “We’re going back to Hogwarts, Dobby. And you can’t stop us.”

Dobby frowned at them and slid the letters back. He stared Harry down and nodded, “Then there is no other choice Dobby has to keep the Potters safe.”

Heather opened her mouth to yell, but before she made any noise, the elf had flung the bedroom door open and was sprinting down the stairs. They bolted after him as fast – but a quietly – as possible. They jumped over the railing near the end and landed quietly, looking towards the kitchen where a strange shadow was moving on the far wall.

“Mr. Mason! How hilarious you are, sir!”

Uncle Vernon’s booming voice carried from the dinner table into the hall they were crouching in. They made their way to the kitchen and peered inside. Heather choked on her gasp and Harry nearly yelled “NO”.

There was a colorful and extravagantly decorated pudding, that Aunt Petunia had been working on all day, floating to the ceiling like a helium balloon. Dobby had crawled into the top cupboard between cereal boxes and was looking down at them intensely.

Heather and Harry clasped their hands together and silently begged, mouthing for him to please stop and put it down.

He shook his head, “Dobby must. To protect the Potters.”

Heather pressed her hands to her forehead as she watched it float over to the center of the ceiling and fall right out of the air, turning midway, and splatting all over the floor. The glass bowl it was in shattered loudly into a million pieces. She stared at Dobby, horrified. With a snap of his fingers that sounded like a loud firecracker, the elf disappeared from the cereal shelf.

There were shrieks and chairs being thrown back suddenly. The Dursleys and the Masons were standing on the edge of the kitchen looking at the disaster smeared all over the floor. Petunia screamed and covered her mouth; Vernon turned his head in their direction.

His face went red from holding his tongue and his body trembled as he clenched his fists with all his might trying to stay as composed as possible. Petunia sent them to the broom closet for a mop while Vernon spun a very elaborate web of lies about them to the Masons.

They were believing what Vernon was saying, thinking Harry and her were some ravenous children that they had taken in out of the kindness of their hearts. Mrs. Mason even clutched her heart tenderly at Petunia and everything had been mended… until a giant brown owl shot through the open window and smacked Mrs. Mason in the face, nearly cutting her cheek with the letter in its beak.

Mr. Mason ran out after his outraged wife and didn’t look back. Vernon shoved the letter into Heather’s hand and demanded she read it out loud. The letter was from the Ministry of Magic warning Harry and her about how magic outside of school was not permitted and could get them expelled.

In that moment Heather imagined great horns and a pointed tail growing out of her uncle. He sent them to their room and promised to lock them in and never let them return to “that school” ever again. He took them each by the ears and led them upstairs, throwing them inside and slamming the door shut all while laughing like a mad man.

Harry cried himself to sleep while Heather paced the room frantically trying to come up with some escape plan. She cursed herself for not making sure they took out their wands when they had the chance. Now they were wandless, magicless, and even if they did use magic to escape, they would be expelled. They were trapped. Like Hedwig.

The following day a worker had fitted bars on their bedroom window while Vernon fit a cat flap to their bedroom door to be able to slide food and water through it. The only times they were allowed to leave the room was in the morning and at night, one at a time, to use the restroom. If Heather wasn’t so angry, she’d cry.

On the evening of the third day, Heather sat up suddenly when an idea popped into her head. She leaned over the bed quickly and grabbed Harry’s arm, startling him out of a daydream.

“Harry!” Heather stood up and walked over to the bedroom window, pulling on the bars. “Let’s melt these!”

Harry laughed, “You’re joking.”

She shook her head and retrieved her bag from under the bed. She dumped it out on the bed and spread out its contents. Harry watched her pick up the cauldron, ingredient kit, and the first-year potions textbook.

“Heather, I don’t remember Snape teaching us any melting – “

“No, but Neville did. Remember?” Heather took her things and sat under the window on the floor.

She crossed her legs and opened the textbook to the first few pages. She set the cauldron down and opened up her potions kit. Hedwig and Harry watched her curiously as she prepared everything she would need.

“Harry, I need you to plug in that lamp over here.”

Harry moved the desk lamp over to Heather’s spot in front of the window and handed it to her. She flipped it upside down and propped it up with books. She picked up the cauldron and placed it over the metal cone surrounding the bulb and turned the lamp on.

“This bulb gets so hot it could start a fire, or you know… be one,” she turned to Harry and smiled.

“You’re a genius! How long will it take? We can go ‘round the back to the kitchen window and get back in and force the cupboard open.”

“Good plan,” Heather added half her bottled water into the cauldron and waited for steam to appear.

She got to work adding and stirring the potion. The process took several minutes and a fair amount of guessing on her part. She had a vague idea on how Neville ruined the potion and hoped she was right about what happened.

“Ok… I’m going mess the potion up now. Come help me. I need you to grab that shirt and hold onto the cauldron with it – yeah like that – and we’ll quickly let it drip onto the bars one by one.” She stood up and opened the window.

“If we mess it up –“

“I only have enough ingredients for this batch… so don’t.”

Harry nodded at Heather and watched as she finished the potion. She stirred it for a few seconds before the smell turned sour. The small bubbles turned large and started popping chaotically. She backed away and knelt on the ground watching the bottom of the cauldron.

“Ok, Harry. I think the bottom is thinning, start moving it to the bars!”

Harry lifted the cauldron off the bulb and rushed to get it over the bars. The second he held it out the window it started dripping as the bottom disintegrated. Harry waved it over the bottom of the bars trying to get it evenly spread but the cauldron was falling apart in his hands.

“No!” Harry barely made it to the last bar when the bottom half of the cauldron detached from the rim and fell like a big drop of goop onto Petunia’s flower garden down below.

Heather ran to the window and saw that there was a small fire being started where the potion touched the petals and leaves of the flowers. She picked up the last of her water and poured it over the fire until it was just smoke. She sighed and analyzed the bars. It had effectively melted the metal but there was no way Harry or her could escape with the little progress it made.

Harry handed her the cauldron rim, “Sorry…”

She took it and stuffed it in her bag. “It’s alright…”

Without talking the rest of the night, she cleaned up her things, packed them up, shoved them under the bed and went to sleep. She was in a deep state of dreamless sleep when she felt herself being shaken. She opened one eye to see Harry was shaking her shoulders and pointing at the window with an excited look on his face.

#  **~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~**


	2. The Burrow Life

#  **~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~**

Heather sat up quickly and ran to the window. “Ron! But-but how!” She gasped suddenly as she realized it was not only Ron at their second story window… but Ron leaning out of a blue CAR at their second story bedroom window in the dead of night.

“Hello!” Fred and George were waving from the front seats.

“Why haven’t you guys been answering my letter to come over? And why do these bars look like they’re melting, and why does it smell like burnt tulips?”

“It’s a long story but we haven’t been getting ANY of your letters or we would’ve left the second we could,” Harry pushed the bars. “We can’t magic ourselves out to go to Hogwarts and – “

Ron cut him off, “Tell us on the way, and don’t worry, we’re taking you with us tonight. We don’t need magic to get you out, not when Fred and George are here.”

Fred and George waved again. Heather raised her eyebrows at their “non-magic” approach doubtfully as they had Ron and Harry attach a rope to the bars and positioned their flying car away from the window. They lurched forward and started revving the car. The rope was holding, keeping a tight line between the bars and the car. Finally, with a sudden tug forward and up, the bars gave way.

Heather and Harry ran to the now bar-less window and looked up to see one of the twins pulling the car back around to the window and parked it mid-air. Luckily the whole process hadn’t made too much noise.

“Our trunks are locked downstairs in the cupboard and the room is locked from the outside,” Heather tried explaining to them the new dilemma. They nodded and grinned at her like they had a funny joke to tell.

“Not a problem.”

“Leave it to us.”

They climbed out of the car window and tumbled through the bedroom window onto the floor. They stood and dusted off their shoulders, walking over to the room and crouched down. One of them took out a little metal pin and started twisting it into the lock.

Heather stood behind them, hand to her mouth, impressed. If she ever needed a partner in crime, they would surely be the first people she’d call. They instructed her and Harry to pack their things and get their bags over to Ron while they got the trunks.

Harry packed his clothes in his pillowcase while Heather shoved hers into her bag. Ron took the bag and pillowcase and carefully slid Harry’s broom and their animals inside the car. Fred and George were back with the trunks, panting and leaning against the wall trying to catch their breaths.

The Weasley twins climbed back into the front seat and pulled the car back out and positioned it so the trunk of the car faced them. Heather and Harry heaved the trunks onto the windowsill and pushed them out of the window one by one, letting them fall into the open trunk. They closed it and waited for the car to move forward.

Instead, it accidentally moved back, hitting the side of the house hard with a loud knock before pulling forward quickly.

“WHAT WAS THAT!”

Heather and Harry froze when they heard Vernon’s furious rumbling voice from a few rooms down. Harry pushed Heather to the window as the car appeared again and the back window was rolled down and positioned for them to get in through.

“Hurry,” Ron hissed grabbing Heather’s hands and pulling her forward as the door to their room flung open and smashed a hole in the wall where the knob was.

She fell onto the car floor and quickly sat up to help Harry. She saw Harry attempt to jump through the windows into the car in one motion but was caught by Vernon half-way in. Their uncle held onto his legs and pulled while Ron and her managed to grab his hands.

“You’re not getting away!” Vernon pulled harder as Harry kicked. “Petunia! HE’S ESCAPING!”

Harry groaned as Fred and George joined in the tug of war. The four of them pulled as hard as they could until Harry toppled inside, sending Vernon falling backwards. Fred and George quickly moved back to the front seat while Harry, Ron, and Heather buckled up.

“Go go go,” Ron yelled.

“Be back next summer!” Harry and Heather yelled back at Vernon and Petunia, who was helping Vernon stand.

They waved goodbye as everyone laughed, speeding away from the house and leaving the three Dursleys leaning out of the window with their mouths hung open. Heather handed George Hedwig’s cage and asked him to unlock it. Hedwig immediately jumped out the window and soared behind them as they flew to the Weasley’s house.

“So… dad told us you guys got an official warning from the Ministry because you used magic in front of Muggles,” Ron said, trying to find out the ‘long story’ Harry had mentioned earlier.

“How did your father find out,” Heather wondered if the whole wizarding world kept constant tabs on famous Harry.

“He works for the Ministry,” Fred called back.

“But we didn’t do any magic! Some house elf did,” Harry started explaining.

Everyone stayed quiet as Harry told the events of the last few days to them. Fred and George asked lots of questions, but they could hardly answer any. Dobby hadn’t said much and what he did say was very confusing. When it got to the part where Heather purposefully screwed up a potion to melt the bars, George stuck his fist out for Heather to bump.

“Well…? What’s everyone think of it,” Harry said impatiently.

Fred adjusted the mirror and looked back at him, “That was the weirdest story that’s ever been told to me.”

“Weirder than Lee’s giant grape story,” George agreed.

“Well house elves are bound to their families, aren’t they? And have to obey them and everything. What family would want to warn you but not give you all the information?” Ron shook his head at them, “I wouldn’t listen to him.”

“Agreed,” said Fred. “It could also be a prank from someone.”

“Haven’t gotten on anyone’s bad side have you,” George turned around and winked at Harry.

“Draco Malfoy,” Ron and Harry screamed as the realization hit them.

“Malfoy? Like Lucius Malfoy’s son,” Fred glanced at George.

“I don’t know… He’s never said his father’s name.”

“’Malfoy’ isn’t a common name,” George explained.

“How do you two know about Lucius Malfoy?”

“Because, Ron, while you and Ginny are fighting – “

“We’re acting like mature adults and listening in on Dad talk about work.”

“And from what we hear, Malfoy is a real pain.”

Harry scoffed, “Like father like son then.”

Fred looked at George again and back at Harry. “Well… not exactly. He’s a pain because he has a bunch of dark magic stuff Dad’s always trying to confiscate.”

“Yeah,” George turned to them, “Back from his You-Know-Who supporting days…”

Everyone was quiet.

Heather shook her head, “But Dobby didn’t know I existed, and Draco does.”

“Well,” George thought for a moment, “At least we know that Lucius Malfoy is certainly rich enough to own a house elf.”

“What a week then,” Ron concluded. “We thought Errol wasn’t making it to your house at first, so then we used – “

“Errol,” Heather grinned, “Is that your family’s owl’s name?”

“Yeah, and then we wanted to use Hermes – Percy’s owl – but he refused to let me use it.”

They continued driving for a few more minutes, looking at a compass on the dashboard occasionally, until they started descending as slow as the sun started raising into the sky. By the time they landed bumpily on a driveway the dark sky had turned into a warm shade of orange-ish pink.

Everyone exited the car at once. As the Weasley twins and Harry took out the trunks and bags, Heather looked up at what was the Weasley home. The first floor looked to be a single-room cottage, slightly bigger than Hagrid’s small Hut. The rest of the floors looked like single rooms stacked on top of each other imperfectly with a roof that looked to have belonged to the first-floor cottage. There were also as many Chimneys sticking out of the roof as there were floors making her wonder if each room had its own fireplace.

Heather noticed Ron standing beside her, observing her. He pointed to the sign that read ‘The Burrow’ stuck by the entrance. “Mum thought it fit nicely… It’s not much but – “

“It’s the greatest house I’ve ever seen Ron,” Heather smiled.

“Which one is your room,” Harry looked at all the floors, trying to see which one seemed the most like Ron.

“That one,” Ron pointed at the very top one.

“Here’s the plan,” Fred started.

Everyone turned to him when he didn’t continue. He was looking at the front door when it opened, and Mrs. Weasley came storming out of the house. She swung her arms wide with every stride, looking between all her sons. Her red brows were furrowed so intensely that her eyes were cast in shadows. As she came to stand in front of them, she pulled out a stern finger and pointed it down the line at each boy, skipping over Harry and Heather.

“Did you think your own mother wouldn’t notice three empty beds? How worried I’ve been! Car gone! No Notes! If you think your father won’t hear about this – Charlie, Bill, nor Percy would have EVER – “

“Percy the perfect Prefect,” Fred muttered under his breath.

“YES OF COURSE NOT PERCY. He knows the dangers of FLYING A CAR. You could have crashed or-or been seen – your father could lose his job should anyone find out!”

After several loud and unfortunate minutes for Fred, George, and Ron, Mrs. Weasley turned to Heather and Harry and smiled. All the anger had gone from her voice speaking sweetly to them as she invited them inside for breakfast.

They followed her inside into a small kitchen. The only things unmagical about the kitchen was the wooden table, the counter, and the fridge; everything else was the most magical thing Heather had ever seen. There were dishes scrubbing themselves, plates and utensils jumping into cupboards and drawers, and an odd clock with no numbers only chores listed on it. Even the cooking books that Heather normally found boring had fascinating titles.

Mrs. Weasley’s anger towards her sons lasted all breakfast, but she never directed any of it towards Heather or Harry, filling their plate with fresh eggs and sausages. Everyone finished quick but before they could leave to go rest after being out all night, Mrs. Weasley assigned chores as pre-punishment punishment.

“You two dears can go to bed. Ron, show Harry your room first and – GINNY! PLEASE COME DOWN. GINNY? – ah Ginny, please show Heather to your room, and get out the extra bed for her.”

Ginny, who had grown several inches since the last time Heather had seen her, kept glancing up at Harry but nodded.

“Oh, I’ll help with the de-gnoming. I’ve never even seen gnomes – “

“Oh, Harry dear, it’s very boring, but if you insist.” Mrs. Weasley flicked her wand towards the living room and a thick book came hovering into her hand. “Lockhart has very good instructions on how to de-gnome – “

“Mum, we can just show him…” Ron groaned. “Give it to Heather, she and Hermione can’t ever stop learning even boring things.”

Heather stuck her tongue out at him but took the book from Mrs. Weasley anyways. “While you guys go de-gnome, I’ll be comfortable in bed READING about it.” She turned and followed Ginny up the long flight of stairs to her room on the third floor.

“I’ll get you an extra pillow.”

Heather walked in and pulled out the extra mattress from under Ginny’s bed.

“Here,” Ginny handed the pillow to her and gave her another one from her own bed.

“Thanks. Are your brothers always this reckless?”

Ginny laughed, “Yeah, well just Fred and George but I think they think it’s easier to get Ron involved than it is Percy now.”

“What’s it like having so many brothers?”

Ginny shrugged and hopped over the extra mattress to get to hers. “It’s mostly fun, except for when they don’t let me join.”

Heather couldn’t relate. Harry and her always did everything together. They were best friends… she couldn’t imagine how awful it would feel if Harry ever told her she couldn’t hang out with him. She sat down on the mattress and placed her pillows down and opened the book on her lap.

“’Gilderoy Lockhart’… Funny name.” The picture on the inside cover was of a man with shiny white teeth and wavy combed-back hair winking and waving. Heather could tell he thought highly of himself by the way his trimmed eyebrows looked on his smug face.

“Oh! Mum loves him, she reads all his new books the day they come out. Dad thinks he’s annoying though.”

Heather laughed, “Does she? Is he a very famous wizard?”

“Yes, I think so by how long his lines are for autographs.”

“As famous as Harry?”

Ginny blushed at the mention of Harry’s name. “No, not as famous.”

Heather pretended not to notice and laid down, holding the book open above her face. Ginny got in bed too and dozed off while Heather read. Every chapter had several long-worded paragraphs dedicated to personal opinions or reminders of other things Lockhart had done. By the third chapter she was quite annoyed, being told for the seventh time just how much people loved Lockhart by Lockhart himself.

As she set the book down, she heard a door slam. Ginny sat up and inched over to the window at the foot of her bed.

“Dad’s home!”

Heather followed Ginny out the room and down the many stairs and into the kitchen. Mr. Weasley was already complaining about his day to Harry, Ron, and the twins when they came down. Ginny said a quick hello to her father and ran back upstairs.

Mr. Weasley looked extremely tired, like he too had been up all night. He had continued complaining about the night raids he’d done when Mrs. Weasley appeared suddenly, greeting her husband with the same expression she’d greeted her sons with this morning.

“You work to confiscate magically enchanted muggle items from wizards AND YOU OWN A FLYING CAR?”

“C-car?” Mr. Weasley looked to his sons, confused, but none of them met his eyes.

“Yes, dear. The very same car Fred drove his brothers in to go pick up Harry and Heather from their MUGGLE house in the middle of a MUGGLE town,” she crossed her arms.

“That’s incredible!” He glanced at his wife and quickly frowned, “-ly irresponsible! You could have gotten hurt or at the very least seen by countless muggles.”

Mrs. Weasley nodded and turned to Fred, and George each. Ron tugged on Heather and Harry’s shirts and jerked his head to the stairs. They followed him up to the fifth floor and entered his room. The ceiling sloped down to the left of the room and the walls were all an intense orange with large moving posters plastered everywhere of what Heather assumed to be his favorite Quidditch team he constantly talks about.

“So, these are the Chudley Cannons, then,” Harry looked around and sat on Ron’s bed.

“None other,” Ron tapped a poster.

Heather scanned the room. There were stacks of textbooks in the corner, forgotten since the beginning of summer. There was also a tank of tiny tadpoles placed on the windowsill next to Scabbers. Ron stood by the door watching Heather and Harry look around at all his things.

“If I had my own room, I’d like it to be just like yours,” Heather leaned down to look at the floating tadpoles.

“A room like mine?” Ron scoffed, “Its puny compared to yours.”

“Well we’d trade it in a heartbeat for yours. We haven’t been in many houses… actually just two I think, and your house is definitely – “

“The best,” Heather and Harry said together.

Ron grinned, picking up a deck of playing cards and handing them to Harry. They shuffled the second they were in his hand and dealt themselves out. The three of them played games the rest of the day until bedtime, when Heather went back to Ginny’s room to sleep.

The next morning Heather woke up first and rushed down to the kitchen the second she heard someone awake. It was Mrs. Weasley preparing breakfast for Percy who was standing at the counter waiting for his food to take back upstairs.

“Hello,” Heather announced herself, not sure exactly how freely she could roam about the house.

“Oh! You’re up early. So, unlike my sons – “

“That’s not true, I wake at six every morning – “

“Yes, yes, except Percy here. Does Harry wake up this early too?”

Heather smiled at the instant warm welcome, “It depends how well he slept. If he’s slept well, he won’t be awake ‘till someone shakes him.”

Mrs. Weasley laughed and offered to make her some breakfast as well. Heather nodded and sat at the table. Mrs. Weasley nudged Percy out of the kitchen and quietly forced him to sit next to Heather at the table to wait for the sausages and muffin.

Percy crossed his arms and sat patiently. “So, are you excited for second year?”

“Yes. I’m excited to get the new lists for school! Very excited actually,” Heather drummed her fingers on the table.

“Like studying, then? You know I heard you were among the top three students in potions for your year.”

Heather sat up suddenly, “Who’d you hear that from?”

Percy chuckled, “Being Prefect has its privileges. Many actually, along with very serious responsibilities – ” he started listing them on his fingers, although they mainly consisted of making sure the halls were kept clean. “And so obviously I would need to go into the staffroom – “

“So was it Professor Snape?! Did he say it himself?”

“Who else? Professor McGonagall was asking about your friend Granger. Apparently, she’s got the highest grades of your year – “

“Yes, but I have a higher score in potions than her.”

Percy shook his head, “Not for long I’m sure. If she’s anything like me she won’t be second best for long.” Mrs. Weasley handed him his plate and he left.

“Third,” Heather mumbled.

Percy was right. Hermione had probably taken it upon herself to look for the second-year textbooks and study them before the materials lists were even written up. Afterall, she had the freedom to go to Diagon Alley whenever because she didn’t live with big angry apes like she did.

“Here you are, dear,” Mrs. Weasley set the plate down for her.

Heather looked around for a fork and realized it was already floating over to her. She took it and began eating, feeling nearly stuffed by the end. She wasn’t used to such a big breakfast but gladly welcomed it whenever.

“Mrs. Weasley, could I wake Ron and Harry up?”

“Oh, please do. Ron would sleep all morning if he could.”

Heather put her dish in the sink and ran up the stairs to Ron’s door. She was about to knock when a sudden clatter surprised her. Ron had mentioned there was a ghoul in the attic who liked to make noise randomly throughout the day. She knocked and opened the door slowly, poking her head in.

Harry was drooling on his pillow with one arm over his head, while Ron lay face up and snoring under his pillow with a leg hanging off the side of his bed. Heather bit her lips trying to suppress her laughter.

She quietly pushed the door open and jumped, landing hard on the ground with deliberate thump while yelling “BOO”. Harry and Ron screamed, sitting up immediately and looking up at Heather who was laughing and pointing at Harry.

“Very funny,” Harry buried his face back into his pillow.

Ron laughed, “You screamed, Harry.”

“Funny, I heard two people screaming,” Harry’s voice was muffled.

“We heard three!”

Heather screamed and turned around, looking at the Weasley twins grinning madly at her. They had messy hair and matching vertical red-striped button-up pajamas. They laughed and pushed through into the room.

“Sorry, but we’re the prank kings around here. Isn’t that right Ron?” One of them shook Ron’s hair annoyingly.

“Get off!”

“What are the plans for today, boys and girl?”

Heather and Harry shrugged at them and looked to Ron.

Ron shrugged as well, “I’ve just been catching up on my comics so far – “

“Boring,” the twins looked to each other.

“We have enough people to play a small game of Quidditch. Just need Percy – “

“If he’ll allow himself to have fun for once since school ended.”

The twins stepped out onto the landing and descended the stairs. The three of them were excited to play and while Ron and Harry had breakfast, Heather showered and got dressed. They met the twins and Ginny – Percy was too ‘busy’ – and split up into teams. It was Ginny and the Weasley twins vs Ron and the Potter twins up until it got darker when they decided to switch it up and trade one Weasley twin for one Potter twin ‘till dinner time. Even while they traded around Harry’s broom, both teams ended up tied consistently.

The food was ready and Mr. Weasley was home which meant they were forced to stop playing and sit down to eat. Mr. Weasley invited Harry to sit by him and asked him question after question about everything and anything muggle. Heather sat between Fred and George and listened to them tell some very funny stories of pranks or jokes they’d managed to pull off.

After a several hours of listening to Fred and George speak, she started to notice several differences between them. Up until now she had barely been able to distinguish one from the other considering they looked almost identical and they were constantly switching up their names on people.

After dinner Fred and George went back to their rooms – Heather wondered what on earth went on in there because she constantly heard explosions and pops and no one seemed to notice or care except Harry who shared her same concerned look – and Harry and her went back up to Ron’s room with him to hang until bed.

They talked about school and Quidditch for several hours while playing simple games until Mrs. Weasley came in and urged them to sleep. They stayed talking for longer until Mrs. Weasley came in again and bribed them with pancakes for the next morning. Ron and Harry quickly kicked Heather out then – forcibly – and everyone went to sleep.

For a week the days were filled with completing small tasks, delicious meals, and non-stop games of Quidditch. During the early morning and late night it was just the three of them – Ron, Harry, and Heather – and in the evenings Fred and George joined. Although Ginny played Quidditch with them, she never stayed for anything else and only ever talked to Fred and George. Heather had the sneaking suspicion it had everything to do with Harry… or more precisely ‘Harry Potter the boy who lived’.

Heather, Ron, and Harry were eating breakfast one morning when an owl pecked at the kitchen window. Mrs. Weasley opened it and took seven letters from it. She looked them over and took out three, handing one to each of them.

“These are your school letters. Open ‘em up and let’s see what we’ve got to guy this year.”

Ron read the list of books that were required of them out loud. Most were similar to the ones they had last year except for the next skill level, and the rest were seven books all by Gilderoy Lockhart for the dark arts class.

Percy came bounding down the stairs and was about to sit on a chair when Heather stopped him. No one had noticed when a second owl had flown through the window and flopped onto the chair seat with a letter in its beak looking exhausted and worn.

Ron opened the letter after seeing it was from Hermione. She was planning on buying her books on Wednesday and hoped to see them there. To Ron and Heather’s horror – for different reasons – she had mentioned she was too busy with schoolwork to stay at his house.

“Well then, no one plan anything for Wednesday because that’s when we’ll go get your school supplies. Tell Fred and George too, Ron.”

After everyone was dressed, they went out and practiced Quidditch before Fred, George, and Ginny came out. Fred and George were looking irritated, shaking their heads and kicking rocks on their way to where Ron was. Ginny stayed behind them, well hidden.

“Did you read the list of books?”

“All new editions.”

“How’re Mum and Dad to afford it?” Fred hopped on his broom and kicked off, picking fresh apples to play with.

They had been using apples since they didn’t own any actual Quidditch balls – or at least none that were enchanted in the last century. Ron shook his head and shrugged, looking down at the ground.

“Five sets of all seven of his books – “

“Not to mention Ginny’s new wand and robes,” George interrupted Fred.

“Let’s play,” Ron kicked off and waited for everyone else to join.

Heather and Harry joined him quickly, understanding why his mood had changed. If Heather could, she’d share her and Harry’s money with them, but she knew they wouldn’t take it and might get offended by the offer. It wasn’t fair how the world worked sometimes. She thought about how Malfoy’s family could easily afford a house elf and how the Weasleys deserved that money way more. They wouldn’t constantly brag about it all the time or take it for granted.

For the first time that week Ginny, George, and Fred’s team lost to Harry, Ron, and Heather’s. What surprised everyone, was that even while Fred had the Numbus Two-Thousand, Heather had scored several clutch points. It was then that George decided to show her several cool tricks on the broom that he and Fred learned while being Gryffindor’s beaters.

For several more days they tied consistently again. Heather tried her best to do what she had done to win with no luck. They were going to Diagon Alley tomorrow and Heather thought she might want to check out some books in the Quidditch section… just for fun though.

#  **~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~**


	3. Leaving the Burrow

#  **~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~**

Mrs. Weasley didn’t have to wake Heather up early like everyone else because she had been up and ready an hour before. Ever since Hermione had written and said she had been studying and doing schoolwork, Heather had been staying up all night going over notes and looking through her two guides. Anything she could do to get back on track with Hermione.

Now that Wednesday had arrived she was pumped and ready to get all her books and read them all before school began. Especially potions and herbology, which were the two subjects she was sure Hermione was working on considering those were the only two she didn’t receive perfect marks on and either tied or lost to Heather.

She told Mrs. Weasley she’d wake Harry and Ron for her and bounded up the stairs two at a time. She got to Ron’s door and knocked loudly. She entered and took one of the pillows that had fallen off Ron’s bed and started whacking them with it.

“Wake up! Get ready! We need to go buy the books fast so I can get to studying already!”

“You’re mad!” Ron took the pillow back and threw it at her face.

“It’s best if we just do what she says,” mumbled Harry as he sat up, hair a mess.

“Ron, if you hurry, I’ll buy you ice cream. I promise!”

Ron sat up immediately, “Deal!”

Heather left the room and ran down the stairs. She helped Mrs. Weasley with breakfast for everyone and set out plates “the muggle way”, as she had put it. Ron was the first one downstairs and eating while everyone else came down in a sleepy mob. After breakfast everyone stood around the fireplace, including Mr. Weasley.

Harry and Heather stood back looking as everyone checked their pockets and adjusted their clothes. Mrs. Weasley took an empty looking flowerpot from the mantle and turned around looking for Harry and Heather.

“You dears go first,” she handed the pot to Harry.

Harry took it and looked at Heather, and then back at Mrs. Weasley. “Er… what do I do with it?”

Ron smacked his forehead, “They’ve never traveled by Floo, Mum.”

“Oh! That’s right, sorry. Er – Percy, you go first and show them.”

Percy nodded, adjusting his Prefects badge, and took the flowerpot from Harry. “Certainly.”

Fred and George rolled their eyes behind him.

“You take a bit of Floo powder and,” Percy walked over to the fireplace. “then just throw it in like this – and say where you want to go CLEARLY.” He stepped into the green flames and yelled, “Diagon Alley!”

In an instant the fire had died, and Percy was gone. Fred went next and George right after him, each disappearing in the flames. Heather’s mouth was slightly open, wondering how on earth someone could have discovered that. Mrs. Weasley handed the pot to Harry next and gave him more safety tips, though Heather could tell Harry was only half listening, probably too excited to try it already.

Harry took a pinch of powder and threw it into the fireplace. The green flames roared to life. Heather could see mixed reactions on his face as he stood in the fire. He opened his mouth and immediately started coughing while trying to say the destination. The flames cut out and Harry was gone. The room was silent for a few seconds while Ron’s parents looked at each other and then down at Ron.

“Did it sound like he said ‘Diog On Nelly’,” Ron looked at Heather.

She shrugged, “I’m not sure… I don’t suppose two people could fit at once?”

Mr. Weasley chuckled, “Ah, yes… Perhaps we should have done that…“

“Ron, you step in with Heather then,” Mrs. Weasley handed the pot over.

Ron threw in the powder and they both stepped into the flames, which felt cold and humid to Heather as she stood still behind him.

“Diagon Alley!”

Suddenly she felt herself get pressed into Ron and had the sudden feeling like the floor had ripped opened into a vertical water-slide tube. She felt like she was swirling and falling even though the she could still feel bits of burnt wood under her shoes. She could hardly see anything, just flashes of rooms zooming past her horizontally, left to right, on and on until Ron grabbed her arm and pulled her forward into a room with Fred and George.

“Welcome,” Fred grinned.

“Don’t worry, you get used to it,” George helped stabilize Heather.

She felt like the room was swaying and wasn’t sure how she was still standing. If it wasn’t for George she might have fallen flat on her face. Heather rubbed her eyes and everything was better. She let go of George and looked around.

“Where’s Harry?”

Everyone else looked around too. Ginny came through next and then Mrs. Weasley followed by Mr. Weasley who shook soot off his hair and counted heads.

“We’re missing one… Harry.”

“Oh dear, I told you Arthur – “

“Not to worry, he’s close. I’m sure of it,” Mr. Weasley smiled and headed out onto the streets. He put his hands on his hips and looked around over the crowds of people.

“Ron, maybe we can go get ice cream while your dad finds Harry?”

Ron nodded and informed his mother of where they were going. They walked outside and walked down the street a bit until they saw a mint-colored store with a giant ice cream sign that looked to really be melting over the entrance of the store.

“Your father will find him, right? I shouldn’t be worried?” Heather opened the door for Ron.

“He said the words close enough, he’ll appear in one of the store chimneys for sure,” Ron went straight for the glass counter.

Heather stood behind him as he stared at all the flavors. “’Squirrely Swirl Bananas’? ‘Hiccupping Hilda Berries’ and ‘Wormy Gurt’?? What kind of flavors…”

Ron looked back, “Wormy Gurt was my favorite flavor when I was little.”

He ordered a single scoop cone of ‘Frothing Finkle Figs’ and Heather gave three sickles. Ron offered her the first bite, but she said she wasn’t feeling very adventurous at the moment and they walked back out to find Mr. Weasley, and his sons walking up to them.

“Ah, Frothing Finkle Figs, good choice Ron,” Fred bent over and took a small bite.

“Hey! I earned this,” Ron pulled the cone away, making it easier for George to take a bite as well. “Hey!”

“Children, this way,” Mr. Weasley led them around a corner.

Heather recognized the area immediately then. Out in the distance was a tall white building that was Gringotts. Her eyes trailed down the building to the entrance and she could see a large and tall man with a scruffy beard and a tattered shirt.

“Hagrid!” Ron pointed at the same man.

“Not just Hagrid, Harry as well,” Mr. Weasley started walking faster.

Everyone picked up the pace towards Gringotts, sprinting up the stairs and stopping in front of Harry, Hagrid, and Hermione.

“Hermione!” Heather jumped and hugged her tight.

Hermione hugged her back, “Have you seen the list of books for dark arts? I can’t wait to start reading them. They’re all from the same author which means he must be a very good wizard! Seven books published! Could you imagine?”

Heather looked at her, very serious, “What school work were you referring to in your letter? Did teachers give you extra assignments?”

“MERLIN’S GREY BEARD!” Ron pulled them apart, disgusted. “We’re on VACATION. Can’t the studying wait ‘till term starts AT LEAST.”

“Harry, where’d you end up anyways?” Fred asked.

“Found ‘im in Knockturn Alley,” Hagrid responded for Harry.

“Lucky! We’re not allowed in,” George looked over at his mother with distaste as she rushed up the stairs to hug Harry.

“Oh! I was so worried – We went into every shop, Ginny and I.”

Ginny’s face turned red at the mention of her name and hid behind Percy quickly. Mr. Weasley noticed Harry’s glasses were broken and took them from him. He tapped the tip of his wand on them gently and handed them back, fixed and better than ever.

“Thanks,” Harry blinked and looked around now that all the tiny scratches on the lenses were gone.

“Need to get goin’ now. Nice to see everyone, and Harry, don’t be turnin’ up in there ever,” Hagrid said goodbye and left.

Harry turned to Ron, “Guess who I saw in Knockturn Alley… Malfoy and his dad.”

“Really? Where?” Mr. Weasley asked, very interested.

“Borgin and Burkes… his dad sold a list of stuff to Mr. Borgin.”

Mr. Weasley grinned mischievously at Mrs. Weasley who only shook her head at him. They started discussing his job again as they entered the bank and stopped the second they saw Hermione’s parents. Delighted, he dropped the conversation and immediately introduced himself and Mrs. Weasley to them. Mr. Weasley handed Percy two keys and a note as the they kept talking.

Percy led everyone else to the counter with the next available goblin and were guided down into the underground tunnels by a different goblin while Hermione waited with her parents and Ron’s. They had to take two carts, connected by a purple glowing chain, to be able to fit everyone comfortably. Percy, Ginny, and the Goblin sat in the back one while Fred and George sat at the very front of the first one with Ron, Harry, and Heather directly behind them.

As the carts sped down one tunnel after the next, Fred and George held their arms up in the air, whooping at every sharp turn and encouraged everyone else to do the same. Only Ginny was brave enough to let go of the cart handles.

They arrived at the Weasley vault first. The goblin hopped out and escorted Percy to the entrance. He took out a small bag and scooped up the entire contents into it and walked back to the cart. Next was Harry and Heather’s vault, which was deeper and larger. The goblin escorted Harry so that he could fill up both their bags. After a few seconds, Harry jumped back in the cart and they were off.

Once outside everyone separated into groups and promised to meet up at Flourish and Blotts in an hour. Hermione, Harry, Ron, and Heather walked down the street, looking around and enjoying the warm sunlight on their skin.

When Harry found out that Ron had enjoyed an ice cream while he was lost, he got very mad and stormed into the ice cream shop to buy one for himself. However, the ice cream shop had so many flavors that Ron couldn’t explain that Harry bought everyone a scoop anyways just to settle his curiosity, which Ron and Hermione were glad for.

They got all of their supplies fairly fast thanks to Hermione’s time management and planning skills. Each of them had only been dragged away from stores once each. Ron for staring at a window display of Chudley Cannon robes, Harry for asking too many questions about the new broom on display, and Heather for taking too long at the apothecary.

Hermione had managed to get them to Flourish and Blotts at the precise time they were supposed to meet up. Unfortunately, none of the other Weasleys had Hermione to keep them on track. One by one the group was back together and ready to enter. No one had noticed the sign posted on the window of the bookstore until Mrs. Weasley’s arrival when she pointed out that Gilderoy Lockhart himself would be signing copies of his autobiography that day.

“Oh! Look at that,” Mrs. Weasley pointed at the sign.

Hermione clapped excitedly, “He’s written all the books for our dark arts classes! I can’t believe we get to meet him today!”

“Yeah,” Heather wondered how a scholar could get so popular that a crowd this big would form just for autographs.

Hermione, Ron, Harry, and her had arrived right in front of the bookstore only half an hour ago and yet the crowd that appeared had pushed them and the Weasleys almost to the other side of the cobblestone street. It was as if Lockhart was a celebrity, the way everyone squealed and jumped up and down trying to catch sight of him.

Hermione found an opening in the crowd and waved them to follow her inside. Heather pushed her way through and turned around to helped pull Harry through, who had gotten stuck between two women with very pointy purses.

The four of them split up to look around at their preferred sections. Heather found the next level herbology guidebook easily but didn’t see one for potions. There was only a thirtieth edition guidebook – she had the twenty-ninth edition one – which was twice as thick but just as big as hers. She opened it up and saw pictures had been added along with famous brewing style explanations and substitution techniques for certain scenarios.

“Perfect,” she smiled and looked around, concealing the book between the others she was carrying.

She walked towards the line where she saw several red heads were standing and walked up to the Weasleys. None of them paid any attention to her so she looked up to see what had them all captivated. It was none other than Harry with Gilderoy Lockhart’s arm over his shoulder while a man took blinding pictures of them both.

“Unbelievable!” She pushed forward.

“…how astonished they will all be to find out JUST NOW,” Lockhart was saying, flashing his white toothed smile between words, “…that along with my signed books they will also have ME as their new Defense Against the Dark Arts PROFESSOR in the greatest wizarding school in the WORLD: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry,” he shook Harry’s shoulders excitedly.

Everyone cheered, including Mrs. Weasley and Hermione who were clapping too enthusiastically. Lockhart handed Harry a stack of all his works as a gift and sent him off. Harry shuffled back into the crowd, his eyes nearly blocked by the stack of books, and poured them into Ginny’s cauldron, giving them to her.

He walked up to Heather and held up his hand, knowing exactly what she would say, saving her the trouble of opening her mouth. She took out her list and together managed to find two copies of Lockhart’s books that they needed and got in line to pay. Harry got bored within seconds and decided to leave her his money and go find Ron.

She pocketed his coins and waited patiently, looking over the herbology book until she was at the front of the line. The man at the desk had a white beard, white mustache, white brows, and a bald head.

“Find everything alright, Miss?”

“Yes,” she placed Harry’s books and paid. He wrapped them in brown paper and twine and started counting the second pile of books she placed down. She remembered something, suddenly, “Er… do you have a book on Quidditch?”

The man smiled and looked her over, “Quidditch, eh?” He flicked his wand and eleven books came hurdling towards him at an alarming speed. The man ducked as the books reached the counter and piled in front of her. “These here are a history of the sport and these are the specific positions. This one is just the rules, and these are the teams from the last two-hundred years … but I reckon you want the position ones.”

Heather looked up at him and nodded, “Yeah… How’d – “

“If I were to gander – and I will – I would say you want this one,” he took out the golden hardcover book with the words ‘Being the Best Seeker Without Going to Prison’ zooming all over the cover. “However,” he continued, “I will only sell you this one.” He handed her a short and thick softcover book titled ‘Champion Chasers’ with a very beautiful witch standing on her broom mid-air with a ball tucked under her arm.

Heather took it wordlessly, flipping through the pages. She felt electricity prickling her fingertips as she held open the book. She sighed, mesmerized by the sudden same feelings she felt while practicing Quidditch with the Weasleys and Harry. She closed the book, realizing she was holding up the line and added it to her pile.

The man smiled and rang her up, taking her coins and wrapping her bundle of books in the same brown paper and twine as Harry’s.

She felt hands on her shoulders and turned around to find a very angry looking Mrs. Weasley gripping Ginny’s cauldron handle so tight her knuckles were white. She asked Heather if she could walk with Ginny to the Leaky Cauldron to meet up with everyone else.

As Ginny and her walked up the street she was told of what had happened mere minutes ago at the store. Mr. Weasley and Mr. Malfoy had started brawling in the middle of the ‘Enchantments for Lawn Ornaments’ section and had almost knocked over two other bookshelves until they were forcibly separated by Hagrid.

“I miss everything,” Heather groaned.

They made it to the Leaky Cauldron, where Mr. Weasley was icing his lip and eye and Fred and George were reenacting what had happened. They all said goodbye to Hermione and her parents and Flooed back to the Burrow with all their things. This time Heather managed to Floo on her own, which was a much better experience than the first time.

When they got back everyone was too exhausted to do much together. Heather took this opportunity to start studying her new guidebooks on herbology and potions. She compared last year’s and this year’s guidebooks and was instantly pleased with her purchase. It wasn’t until after Ginny was asleep that she took out the Quidditch book and began reading it, making sure to tuck it away before falling asleep.

On the last day of their stay at the Burrow, Mrs. Weasley let Heather and Harry each pick the last two meals they’d all share together before leaving for Hogwarts. Heather accepted bribes from Fred and George and by the end of the day, Heather could positively say it was the most delicious day of all her life so far.

That night Heather stayed up with Ginny and answered as many questions as possible about Hogwarts and first years. For some reason she thought the sorting ceremony involved battling a giant creature, though Heather had two good guesses as to why, and was too nervous to sleep. Mrs. Weasley came to check on them and comforted Ginny as best she could, talking about her own experiences. Heather assured her she would not be fighting a troll or having to solve dangerous puzzles like she, Harry, and Ron did last year.

“Ginny, love, you’ll have all your brothers there at school with you – “

“I’ll make sure to tell Bill and Charlie you said that,” Ginny said between sobs.

“Oh! You’re as bad as Fred and George. Ginny, you already have many friends and you will make plenty more.”

“It’s true,” Heather grabbed Ginny’s hand. “Harry and I had to make friends immediately, but you’ll already have me and Harry along with all your brothers.”

Mrs. Weasley kissed the top of Ginny’s head and stood up. She walked over to Ginny’s desk and started folding unpacked clothes into her open trunk. “Well this is a good idea,” she pulled up an old-looking journal. “You can write down things that stress you in here. That’s what I did my sixth year… of course that’s also how your father found out I liked him. NEVER leave your journal behind – although you just might find the person you’re meant to be with. Never know.”

Mrs. Weasley said goodnight to them and left, closing the door quietly behind her. Heather laid down and turned, listening to Mrs. Weasley yell at Fred and George to stop making so much noise and go to sleep.

“If you have any problems or are ever alone, just come find me or Hermione. We’ll be there for you, gladly,” Heather closed her eyes and fell asleep, excited for tomorrow’s journey on the Hogwarts Express.

#  **~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~**


	4. Arriving at Hogwarts

#  **~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~**

Although Mrs. Weasley had woken them all up before dawn, by the time it was time to leave the Burrow hardly anyone was ready. Ron and Harry were still packing their things and fetching their clothes from the drier, Percy had extra bags he was carrying down with him, and Fred and George thought it was hilarious to carry some back up into his room.

Heather and Ginny were ready, waiting by the door, watching everyone run around. She always kept her things in her trunk and Ginny had packed last night to try to ease her anxiety. Finally, it seemed everyone was ready; extra quills distributed and left socks found, until Mrs. Weasley remined everyone of their toothbrushes to which every Weasley child ran back upstairs into the shared bathroom like a pack of salmon rushing upriver.

“Alright, let’s get going now,” Mr. Weasley shouted coming down the stairs holding the car keys above his head, jingling them.

Everyone headed outside with their things and piled them by the car’s trunk and opened the car doors waiting for their seating arrangements from Mrs. Weasley.

“Alright, let’s see,” Mrs. Weasley looked around, “All twins in the back along with…” Ron got closer, hoping to be picked next, “Percy. Then Ginny and Ron and I in the passenger seat. That should work.”

“No!”

“Hush now.”

Heather stared at the inside of the car. It was like how people described limousines except this one was wide not long on the inside. The single back seat row could now fit five comfortably and the front fit four and two small animal cages. She imagined this was what clown cars would look like but could not picture Mrs. Weasley allowing her husband to expand the car like this.

“And we’re off,” Mr. Weasley started the engine and drove out of the driveway and towards London… only to be forced back three more times at random points between their destination for things Ginny, Fred, or George had forgotten. “Alright,” Mr. Weasley said pulling out of the driveway for the fifth time, “No one else has forgotten ANYTHING?” He looked into everyone’s eyes and nodded.

On the way to London Mr. and Mrs. Weasley argued about whether they should or shouldn’t turn on the invisibility cloaking on the car and just fly to the station. In the end, Mrs. Weasley won which meant that when they arrived, they all had to run into King’s Cross in hopes the Hogwarts Express hadn’t yet left.

Everyone stood by platform nine and three-quarters waiting for the go-ahead to run through the barrier.

“We’ll go through first, I’ll help you boys unload while Mum helps Ginny,” Mr. Weasley let his wife and Ginny in first and turned, “Oldest to youngest please!” He said before disappearing into the barrier after his wife and daughter.

Percy rushed through next, followed by the Fred and George at the same time.

“Harry and I’ll go through together, and then you go right after us.”

Heather agreed to Ron’s plan and helped them line up their carts. They gripped the trolley handles firmly and bent down, ready to charge through. They looked at each other and nodded, sprinting towards the barrier.

Heather watched as their trolleys touched the barrier and they tumbled forward onto their trunks and bags and toppled over the side – Harry knocking a shrieking Hedwig down with him. She ran towards them and tried quieting Hedwig down as onlookers turned and frowned at them, muttering.

“What happened?” Heather picked up Harry’s glasses and handed them to him as he dusted himself off.

Ron pushed on the brick wall as hard as he could and turned, “Its sealed! We can’t get through!”

The security guard was walking over to them as more people gathered around. The three of them quickly picked up their things and rolled the carts away from the curious crowd.

“It left already,” Harry pointed up at a hanging clock.

They found an empty bench and sat down, racking their brains.

“If the barriers down, Mum and Dad can’t get back to us that way. It could take a while too.”

“What’re we going to do now?” Harry turned to Heather, hoping she already had an idea.

She didn’t. All she was thinking about was trying to remember if they could get expelled if they didn’t make it to school one year. Would they get held back? It wouldn’t be so bad if they got held back, only embarrassing and very frustrating.

Hedwig was still screeching, annoyed she’d been dropped earlier, so they decided to head back to the car to avoid muggles. They leaned against the car, defeated, when Ron had a sudden idea.

“Wait! We can take the car!”

Heather laughed, “You can’t be serious. You weren’t even the one to drive it when you picked us up – “

“And your Mum and Dad need the car to – “

“They don’t need it! They can apparate home,” said Ron, ignoring Heather’s observation.

Heather turned to Harry knowing how easily he could be convinced of things. “No, Harry, absolutely not. Let’s just send an owl to Dumbledore or our heads of houses or just wait for Ron’s parents.”

Harry shook his head, now both of them turned to Heather. “If we wait for Ron’s parents it could take hours and we could be late. We don’t know if students can arrive late. Were there any Slytherins who arrived on any other day than on the sorting ceremony day?”

Heather thought for a moment. He was right, all students who attended Hogwarts were there since day one. At least that was true of her house… She crossed her arms, needing to be further convinced.

“And,” Ron added, “we can just catch up to the train and park on it. We didn’t pass under any tunnel so why not?”

Heather narrowed her eyes, “There is still the question on how your supposed to drive – “

“FLY. Can’t crash it if there is nothing to crash with,” Ron elbowed Harry knowing they got her.

They had. Heather sighed, “I… I guess we can.”

They opened the car trunk and loaded all their things, putting Hedwig, Scabbers, and Heather’s mossy toad in the back seat, buckled in as best as possible. Ron got in the driver’s seat and Heather and Harry got into the passenger one – Harry next to the window.

“Is anyone looking over?”

Heather and Harry looked around wildly. “No,” they both said.

“Good.” Ron pressed a button on the dashboard that Mr. Weasley had been begging to press the whole ride here, and all of the car outside disappeared. It was as if the exterior of the car was made up of an invisibility cloak.

As Ron maneuvered the car, they began ascending vertically into the sky. It took only a couple minutes for the car to carry them so high that the buildings and people bellow looked like miniatures. Ron pulled the gear handle and the car lurched forward, popping, and the car around them reappeared.

“Fix it Ron!” Heather pressed the button in but nothing happened.

“Hold on,” Ron stepped on the peddle and they started flying forward.

For a moment the visible car outside the windshield vanished and they all sighed relieved. And then it flickered back into sight.

“Get us over the clouds,” Harry suggested, pointing at the nearest one.

“What direction is the train headed in,” Ron pocked his head out the window.

Heather leaned forward and spotted it, “It’s there – er,” she looked at the compass on the dashboard, “North.”

Ron nodded and pulled them up into a cloud. They rose until the tires lightly touched the top of the cloud’s mist and they drove onward. The tops of the clouds were glittery and orange as the direct sunlight hit them. The view was amazing and for several hours, Heather had no regrets on allowing them to climb inside the car and fly to school.

Now, several hours later, they were hungry and thirsty; stuck in a cramped car with noisy animals. Harry had his forehead pressed to the car window while Ron drove in silence. Heather had her arms crossed, worrying about where they would possibly park the car once they got there. Was driving to school – in an illegally enchanted muggle car – even allowed? Likely not.

They checked on the train for the tenth time, dipping below the darkening pink clouds, to check that the bright red streak was still heading north. It was turning around a snowy mountain and getting increasingly harder to see as the sun set.

“How much further, you think,” Ron groaned, obviously tired of sitting in his seat with the peddle pressed.

“I thought you said we were going to land on the train,” Heather noted.

“I lied,” was all Ron said as he took them back up.

Heather gripped the dashboard as the car made a sudden quick wailing noise. Everyone looked out at the hood of the car, checking for any signs of smoke or visible engine failure. Nothing happened and they all pretended it was probably nothing.

That is, until the next time they dipped down and back up and the car whined even louder. Everyone sat up and looked around, hoping it was something they were sitting on. The car made the noise again and this time sputtered.

“Merlin, that didn’t sound good.”

“Didn’t sound good?? Ron are we going to drop out of the sky or aren’t we!” she glared at Ron, cursing herself for going through with his idea.

“We aren’t,” he gripped the wheel tighter, “should be close… it’s dark now and we usually get there at night…”

“I think we need to check where we are,” Harry rolled open the window and stuck his head out as they dipped below again. He leaned further and pointed at a dark shape with a handful of bright dots at its base in the distance, “I think that’s it! We’re a lot closer than we thought.”

The car lurched and slowed.

“Ron?”

He looked down and pressed the peddle harder, but nothing happened. The car wobbled a bit and dropped a few feet, forcing several shocked screams to come out of them. Heather leaned over Ron and buckled his seat belt for him, and then did the same for Harry and her, though she didn’t feel any bit safer.

The car lurched again and dropped several feet over the shimmering moon reflected on the lake. The hood of the car rattled like a bag full of popping kernels and wobbled again. They were close to the castle; they could see it clearly just beyond the lake.

“Will you be able to land us? If we continue at this height, we’ll miss the castle completely and crash into the forbidden forest,” Heather gripped the seat belt as the car dropped lower, as if listening to her.

There was a loud metallic pop from the engine, and then silence. The engine had just died, and they were dropping from the sky. They just missed the astronomy tower as they fell past the castle towards the forbidden forest.

“Do something!” Heather screamed.

Ron let go of the steering wheel with one hand and pulled out his wand, waving it like a maniac, pointing it everywhere and yelling “FLY! FLY! STOP FALLING!”

Harry smacked Heather’s nose as he extended his arm out to point, “THE TREE! WE’RE GOING TO CRASH!”

Ron jerked the wheel hard, but nothing happened. They crashed into the tree, breaking several thick branches on their way down. Finally, the car rolled off the tree and fell on its wheels, only bouncing once. They were still for only a second when the car was hit from the side, sending them skidding down the hill.

The three of them sat up, groaning and holding their heads. Hedwig gave a quiet hoot followed by a croak. Everyone seemed to be ok… except for the car and Ron’s wand. They crawled out of the car and fell onto the wet grass.

The tree they had crashed into was bending over, waving its branches furiously trying to punch them. Heather and Harry pressed themselves against the car and slid their way towards the other side where Ron had exited and away from the angry tree.

Ron stood, wiping his clothes and started unloading the animals onto the ground. “That was close, wasn’t it,” he asked almost cheerily. “Well done,” he smacked the car’s roof.

The car suddenly started, making them jump back. It reversed back and turned all the way around towards the forest. The trunk opened and all their luggage was sent flying over their heads. It closed all its doors and sped into the forest, popping loudly as it entered.

They dragged their trunks up the castle grounds and up the stairs, leaning them against the tall oak doors. They tried pushing them open, but they didn’t budge. Ron walked towards one of the windows and looked in.

“Oh no! The feast has started,” he grumbled.

“Where’s Ginny sitting,” Harry walked over.

Heather sat on her trunk, defeated. What if they weren’t allowed in? What if they flew all this way and almost died just to be sent back?

“Gryffindor,” Ron said.

“Can we focus, please, on getting in?” Heather marched over to them. She felt they should be more worried about how they would sneak in rather than what house Ginny was placed in.

“Look, Snape’s gone,” Harry exclaimed.

Heather leaned forward. There were two empty chairs at the high table, though one was for Professor McGonagall for after the sorting. Professor Snape was not there, nor was he anywhere else in the great hall. She had a sudden sinking feeling in her stomach.

“You think he’s sick or something,” Ron suggested.

“Or maybe he left! Just quit teaching,” Harry hoped.

Heather backed away from the window and looked out into the darkness. She couldn’t see anything moving behind them. She turned back to the window and looked back in… Filch was even at the table; and sitting under his feet was Mrs. Norris.

“Or what if he’s been sacked! You know, since everyone hates him so much – “

“Or – ”

Everyone screamed and jumped, turning quickly to find the source of the cold disembodied voice of Professor Snape.

“Maybe he was sent out here to look for the three trespassers intruding on school grounds and damaging school property!”

Professor Snape went from gritted teeth and tense stance to a more relaxed demeanor. His lips pulled up into a smile as he held his arms behind his back. His black cloak was blowing around him in the breeze along with his black shoulder-length hair. Heather swallowed, knowing they were about to get in an enormous amount of trouble – if they were lucky – or expelled.

“Why don’t the three of you, accompany me to my office.”

It wasn’t a question. He flicked his wand and the large oak doors opened, pushing their trunks aside. He didn’t move so Heather took the lead, followed by Ron and then Harry. Professor Snape trailed behind them, humming deeply and quietly. No one talked or even looked at each other, knowing this was the worst outcome they could have possibly had.

The entrance hall was warm and bright, heating them up after hours in the cold, but as they crossed the entrance hall and walked down the narrow stone steps into the dungeons, all the heat left their bodies as the feeling of dread entered.

Halfway down a passage, Heather stopped outside a shut door.

Professor Snape opened the door, “Inside.”

His office was dark and cold, sending shivers down Heather’s spine. All the times she’d been inside, the fire had been on, giving the chamber a much-needed source of heat. The jars of floating specimen no longer looked cool, but hauntingly creepy, cast in shadows created by the torchlight coming from the passageway outside the room.

After everyone had entered, Professor Snape crossed the room – not bothering to close the door – and pointed his wand at the fireplace. It lit instantly with flames low enough to give off more light. Several candles around his desk and on shelves lit as well, illuminating his angry face perfectly for the three of them to see.

He sat at his chair and pulled open a drawer, pulling out a folded newspaper and placed it on the desk. He closed the drawer and leaned forward, furrowing his dark brows and frowned.

“Let me see if I’ve got this right,” he spoke softly, “the designated train to Hogwarts wasn’t enough of an adventure for the famous Potters and their thrill-seeking best friend, was it?”

“Professor, we’re so sorry – “ Heather started.

Harry shook his head, “It wasn’t our fault! The barrier – “

“Quiet!” Professor Snape sat back, shutting his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. “Where is the car.”

Ron’s mouth fell open.

Professor Snape sighed angrily and flipped over the newspaper, throwing it at the end of his desk for them to read. “’FLYING FORD ANGLIA CONVINCES MUGGLES OF TIME TRAVELERS WITH FLYING MACHINES’,” he hissed. “You were seen!” He took back the paper and laid it out to read. “’An illegally enchanted car was spotted flying over London and other smaller towns by a dozen or so muggles throughout the day… Some reported they believed it to be the work of time travelers taking a tour of the country’ – Do you three know how serious this is?”

“We-we had no choice!” Harry tried again, “We HAD to –“.

Professor Snape smiled and tilted his head in amusement, “Oh, well then. If the great Harry Potter HAD to almost expose the entire wizarding world to the muggle population and risk our kind being prosecuted and hunted down once again – then by all means I offer my – sincerest – apologies.”

Harry squeezed his fists shut, digging his nails into the palms of his hands.

Professor Snape continued, “And I’m sure, Mr. Weasley, that you got your father’s permission for taking his car – now wait a minute,” he said sarcastically, tapping the moving picture of the flying blue car. “Doesn’t your father’s ministry work involve the prevention and misuse of muggle artifacts?”

“Professor, Ron’s parents don’t know we took the car. We stole it.” Heather looked at Ron who seemed about ready to throw up. She was sure the Weasley would hate them after all this. They’d forbid Ron from being their friend and accuse them of being troublemakers.

“I’m sure,” Professor Snape put the newspaper away. “All of that is the Ministry’s concern. What IS the school’s concern is the damage of a very old and valuable Whomping Willow – “

“That tree attacked us!” Ron frowned, pointing to the ceiling in the general direction of the deadly tree.

“You attacked IT!” Professor Snape stood up, “Only Miss Potter is in my house, and therefore I cannot expel you two along with her. The three of you will wait here while I get Professor McGonagall who can.”

The room was silent as Professor Snape let it sink in that they would not be attending Hogwarts this year or ever. He nodded and crossed the room, closing the door behind him. The three of them didn’t move from their spot. Heather gripped the sleeves of her sweater. If Ron and Harry weren’t there with her, she would be sobbing hideously.

A short time later, Professor Snape entered his office again looking even more furious than when he left it. Professor McGonagall, who looked just as furious as Professor Snape, and Professor Dumbledore entered.

Professor McGonagall walked past Professor Snape and pointed her wand at the fire. The low flames grew, bringing a warm light into the cold room. She summoned three student-desk chairs in front of them and pointed for them to sit.

“Start explaining,” she demanded.

Immediately, like an unclogged faucet, Ron began breathlessly explaining the entire story to her. Heather and Harry sat in silence, listening to Ron’s frantic retelling. Heather observed her expression, and unfortunately, it never changed once. Professor Snape on the other hand was constantly rolling his eyes and clenching his jaw, occasionally scoffing. Professor Dumbledore seemed more intrigued with how Professor Snape decorated his office than in the story at all. Heather wasn’t sure if Ron was helping or just wasting his breath trying to plead innocence.

When Ron had finished Professor McGonagall looked at Harry, “And Hedwig couldn’t deliver us an owl, why, Mr. Potter?”

Harry and Ron looked at Heather, who smacked her forehead. “I forgot I listed that as an option while they were convincing me.”

Professor Snape gave a quick incredulous laugh.

Professor Dumbledore walked forward, “I know that the three of you know how very serious this situation is. The three of you have acted very selfishly, putting yourself, Arthur Weasley, and the entire magical community at risk for a variety of things.”

Heather nodded, looking down at her dirty sneakers. “We know,” she whispered.

“We’ll leave then,” said Ron, sadly and hopelessly.

“Leave where Mr. Weasley?” Professor McGonagall put her hands on her hips.

“Home? Aren’t we being expelled?” Ron looked at Professor Snape, who just crossed his arms.

“No. But…Should you ever do this again, then yes, you will be expelled,” Professor Dumbledore gave a small sad smile.

“You will still receive punishments,” Professor Snape walked behind his desk, “for the violent destruction of a very old and valuable Whomping Willow – “

Professor McGonagall cut him off, “Yes. And I will see to it that Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley receive their detention slips from me, detailing when and where their detentions take place.”

“The feast is sure to be ending soon, I must get back to remind students of the few added toys to Argus’ list. Severus,” Professor Dumbledore extended an arm out to him, “I’m sure you don’t want to miss out on the delicious custard pies. If we hurry, there will be a few slices left before Hagrid finishes them off.”

Professor Snape sighed roughly, “Miss Potter. Expect my detention slip for you as well.” He swept out of his office, trailing Professor Dumbledore closely.

Professor McGonagall turned to them with piercing eyes, “For your information, Potters and Mr. Weasley, the Headmaster will be writing to your families about this. Now,” she paused, narrowing her eyes and raising her wand to Professor Snape’s desk, “have dinner in here and then be off straight to your dormitories.”

Heather turned around, hearing a small clack behind her. A plate of sandwiches had appeared on the desk stacked several inches tall. They talked and ate for several minutes until they were full. Harry sat back in one of the chairs Professor McGonagall had summoned and closed his eyes.

Heather, however, let her curiosity get the better of her. She walked around looking through all the shelves and reading out names of the floating lumps in jars. The last few times she had been in here she hadn’t even thought about risking a detention to get distracted by everything.

She tapped on jars and picked small ones up, smelling the sealed lid and putting them back. She wondered if being a potions teacher entailed having jars and jars of ingredients lining the walls and when they were ever used. She had never seen Professor Snape so much as pick up a stirring rod, let alone actually demonstrate how to brew a perfect potion.

Did he brew in private? Heather heard something clatter to the floor and turned around quickly. Harry was turning in his seat watching Ron as he scrambled to pick up several worn quills. Heather walked over and was alarmed to see he had been going through his drawers.

“Let’s leave now,” Heather rushed them out the office door and up the dungeon stairs into a warmer part of the castle.

“You three!”

The three of them froze, almost not recognizing it wasn’t the voice of a teacher, but of someone very much like a teacher in many ways.

They turned and saw Hermione storming over to them. She stood in their way and crossed her arms, raising her eyebrows and pursing her lips as if awaiting an explanation. Heather, Harry, and Ron smiled and waved at her, trying to regain a friendly atmosphere.

“Where HAVE you been? Do you three have any idea the rumors spreading about you? I saw Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall leave and reenter the great hall furious and – “

Ron sighed, “Yes we crashed into the Whomping Willow – “

Hermione’s eyes widened, “YOU FLEW HERE?”

Heather closed her eyes and nodded, hoping Hermione understood it was not her idea at all. “Ron flew the car himself and we crashed and accidently hurt – “

“It hurt US,” Harry interjected.

“You two, upstairs and go straight to bed,” Hermione pointed them in the direction of Gryffindor Tower.

Ron and Harry gave her strange looks but did as they were told.

Hermione watched them leave and turned to Heather, “You should have known better. Humf,” and left as well.

Heather rolled her eyes and made her way to the Slytherin common room door. “Oh no! I don’t know the password…”

She banged on the door for several minutes until a certain white-blonde Slytherin boy opened the door and looked her up and down. At that moment Heather was very aware of how torn, muddy, and sweaty her muggle clothes were after the day she had.

“Malfoy,” she said, walking past him. “What’s the password?”

“Pureblood,” he frowned at her. “Is it true then? You and your idiot brother crashed into the Whomping Willow??”

“Yes, but don’t worry. No points were taken from Slytherin – but also not from Gryffindor.”

“Potter really knows how to work an entire school. You know everyone is talking about him and how cool he is? It’s annoying,” Malfoy walked over to the boy’s dormitory door.

“Yes… But I don’t think it can be helped… He’s ‘Harry Potter’, people don’t know him as just Harry.”

Malfoy frowned and opened the door, turning to say one last thing to her. “Are you planning on always being the worse twin then?”

He shut the door, leaving the room in a lonely silence. Heather turned the knob and pulled the girl’s dormitory door open. Why did he always bring that up?

#  **~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~**


	5. New Team Players

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Harry, Ron, and Heather sat at the Gryffindor table for their first breakfast back at Hogwarts. Everyone was still talking about the car crash and merrily listening to Ron’s dramatic retelling, adding in a fake bit about Harry almost falling out an open car door.

The only people looking at them with disapproval was Percy, Hermione, Fred, and George. The second Heather had sat down Fred and George asked how she could have even thought to leave them behind. “Betrayed by our own brother” they kept saying to Ron. They were right, if anyone was flying that car to Hogwarts it should have been them. Maybe then they wouldn’t have nearly died, and she could have actually not stressed the whole way.

“Hermione – “ Heather was about to make peace with her when the mail owls entered the great hall and a large mound of feathers dropped from the air into Hermione’s bowl, spraying the table with milk and little beige loops. “– eww.”

Ron seized the bird immediately and pried out a red envelope from its beak. “Oh no, oh no – “

“Well, well Ron,” George looked down at the envelope.

“Looks like someone is in trouble…” Fred grinned smugly.

“Is it from your parents? Are you going to open it?” Harry looked around at Neville and Ron who were leaning back as far as possible from the table along with Fred and George.

Heather, Hermione, and Harry looked at each other, not sure why they weren’t understanding the reactions of their fellow classmates.

“This is a Howler… it opens itself if I don’t,” Ron gulped.

“Do it Ron, its worse if you keep it waiting,” Neville nodded encouragingly.

Heather leaned forward to see as Ron started shakily slitting the envelope open, but Fred pulled her back and motioned for her to plug her ears. The second her fingers were stuffed in her ears, the envelope finished opening itself and jumped out of Ron’s hands.

“RONALD WEASLEY YOU ARE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE. YOU’RE LUCKY YOU WEREN’T EXPELLED AND IF YOU THINK WHATEVER DETENTION YOU’RE GETTING IS BAD THEN YOU JUST WAIT ‘TILL YOU GET HOME.”

The red envelope had developed a mouth and was screaming at the top of its lungs in what was undeniably the very angry voice of Ron’s mother, Mrs. Weasley. Heather could still hear it loud and clear even with her ears plugged; it reverberated inside her skull and made the plates on the table tremble with every word. Everyone in the great hall was turned around watching the little red envelope yell at an even redder Ron.

“YOUR FATHER AND I WERE OUT OF OUR MINDS WORRIED WHEN WE SAW THE CAR GONE. YOU CAN’T IMAGINE – RECEIVED THE LETTER THAT YOU HAD CRASHED INTO A WHOMPING WILLOW AND LOST THE CAR – THE SHAME YOUR FATHER IS GOING THROUGH – SPOTTED BY A DOZEN MUGGLES NO LESS.”

Several students were laughing, pointing. Heather looked up at the high table and even the teachers were semi-amused. Professor McGonagall was repressing a laugh and Professor Snape seemed to be as happy as he had been the second he caught them outside the castle last night.

“– IF I RECEIVE ANY MORE NEWS FROM YOU – AND THAT GOES FOR FRED AND GEORGE AS WELL – ” Fred and George’s mouths fell open at the mention of their names. “I WILL TAKE YOU THREE HOME AT ONCE – AND YOU BETTER HOPE NOTHNG COMES OF YOUR FATHER’S INQUIRY AT WORK.”

Harry pressed his hands to his face.

“IF PERCY CAN MANAGE TO BEHAVE SO CAN YOU THREE,” the envelope closed its mouth and started shredding in mid- air until it was a pile of red confetti on Ron’s plate.

“Unbelievable,” George looked to Ron. “She’s mad at us too – “

“And we weren’t even invited to join!” Fred stood up from the table, followed by George.

They threw down their toasts and walked out of the great hall.

Ron was paralyzed, still red-faced and staring down at the little red pile on his plate. Hermione closed the book she was reading and shook her head. Ron gave her a venomous look that shut her up before she could open her mouth.

As breakfast was ending Heather got handed her schedule by Professor Snape – who had more thrown the paper at her than handed it – and the four of them were comparing schedules. This time the houses spent more time among all houses, switching with every class on the list.

The Gryffindors had double herbology with the Hufflepuffs while Slytherins had it with Ravenclaws. This was also the first year more classes than just potions had double hour blocks and study hall was introduced, taking place in the great hall at different hours throughout the week.

“Look at all this! Is this a mistake? I thought last year was hard…” Ron checked everyone’s schedules, making sure his workload looked the same.

Heather and Hermione laughed, earning shocked glares from both Harry and Ron. The breakfast hall was emptying rapidly so they left early, promising to meet up afterwards. Heather headed to study hall after walking them half-way down to the green houses. She picked a spot closest to the high table to be away from the distracting chatter of the students closest to the exit.

She figured she’d use this time to get as far ahead of Hermione as possible, especially since she wouldn’t know how well she was doing in the classes they didn’t share together. She took out her herbology textbook and guide and began reading and taking down notes. After an hour she switched to transfigurations, which was the class the four of them had together in another hour and a half.

After coming back from a quick bathroom break, she realized Malfoy wasn’t at study hall. Heather backed back out of the great hall and hid behind the carved stone door frame, looking around for any sign of him. Crabbe and Goyle were sitting alone, poking holes in their parchments with quills, and Pansy was sitting with other Slytherin girls reading a book.

She hadn’t taken that long in the restroom… the Professor wouldn’t notice if she was gone for a few more minutes. She turned around and ran to the other side of the castle and descended down the stairs two at a time to get to Professor Snape’s office.

She knocked once and waited… Twice. Three times and still nothing. She walked down another passage and knocked on the potions classroom door. She waited a few seconds and was about to knock again when it opened and Professor Snape stepped out.

“Miss. Potter. What are you doing here? Why aren’t you in class.”

Heather gulped and fumbled for an answer, “Oh well, I have study hall actually.” She shifted her weight and leaned to the right, trying to look past him and into the classroom.

“The question remains. What are you doing here,” he leaned to his left, blocking Heather’s view.

“Well I have a question – a potions questions – and…” she leaned to her left, “and came to ask you.”

He mirrored her movements and blocked her view again, folding his arms. “Potions is Thursday for you. Students are not allowed to leave study hall under any circumstances.”

“Yes, sir, but actually to continue studying I need the question answered.” She looked up at him, getting desperate, “Maybe if I could just come in and write out the question…” she tried gently pushing past him, but he did not move.

“Potter. You are testing my patience. What is the question,” he shut the door behind him, ruining Heather’s hopes of catching Draco mid-tutor session.

“Uhhh… er – well, see I was wondering – “ She could tell Professor Snape was reaching his limit with her, “Well Sir Ilan’s method of brewing is universally accepted within the potion making community and has been for three centuries but Queen Obeg’s method is still taught alongside Sir Ilan’s in the textbooks and last year you taught a mixture of both – “

Professor Snape had his brows furrowed as she talked. “I’m aware of how I structure my lessons. What is the question.”

“Uhh, which method… would be better to learn as a-uh-base before needing to switch – “

He rolled his eyes, “Obeg. Goodbye.” He turned on his heels and entered his classroom, slamming the door before Heather could peer inside.

She stomped her foot in defeat and marched back to study hall. Draco Malfoy was getting extra lessons and it wasn’t fair. She could be top of the class if he wasn’t the favorite and now unless she could get extra lessons as well, she will never be able to be top of the class above Hermione AND him. Flying the car to Hogwarts was the worst mistake she’s made so far.

After half an hour of rereading a chapter, she packed her bag and headed out with the rest of the second-year Slytherins to transfigurations class. She took the seat next to Harry, forcing Ron next to Hermione. The entire time they were trying to turn a beetle into a button, Harry and Heather were complaining to each other.

“He’s his favorite and I’ll never be able to beat him on pure merit!” Heather waved her wand over the terrified beetle.

“Professor Lockhart thinks I crashed the car – me and only me – into the tree for attention,” Harry was too busy corralling the beetle back to the center of his desk to actually try the spell on it.

As awful as Heather and Harry were feeling, no one was having a worse of a time than Ron. His wand was held together with ‘Spellotape’, which was just a white ribbon with a mending spell cast on it, and it was not working at all. With every miniscule movement of Ron’s wrist, the wand cracked and popped practically jumping out of his hands. At one point they thought it caught fire because it started billowing out smoke from the center.

The distant bells rang, and they packed their bags and cleared out of the room as fast as possible. Everyone was in such a foul mood – except Hermione and her twenty six perfectly round buttons – that they decided it’d be best to take their lunch and eat it in the courtyard where everyone could complain in peace – except Hermione because she was nose-deep in one of Lockhart’s books.

“Why is your schedule full of little hearts around Defense Against the dark Arts?” Ron snatched the schedule sticking out of Hermione’s book.

“Do you have a crush on Professor Lockhart?” Heather took the schedule and gave it back to a fuming Hermione.

“Of course I don’t,” was all she said, putting the book up higher to block out the view of Ron’s disgusted look.

It was then that a very nervous first-year walked up to Harry practically begging to take a photo of them both with his camera. When Heather informed him that she was Harry’s twin, the boy’s immediate reaction was to ask for her to hold the camera and take a picture of them.

Harry kept trying to politely refuse but the boy simply thought he wasn’t getting his idea through to him. The situation was getting so loud it attracted the attention of the one person Harry hated most.

“Look over there, Crabbe! Goyle!” Malfoy came striding over. “THE ‘Harry Potter’ is giving out free signed photographs of himself with his adoring fans!”

“I’m not doing any of those things, Malfoy.” Harry pushed the camera down out of his face. His temper was already brimming and could bubble over very easily.

“Malfoy don’t do this,” Heather begged, watching as more students gathered to watch.

Draco sneered, “Hey, Potter,” he grinned, “I think Weasley wants a photo. Too bad his Mum would have to sell the house to afford it. Then where will all the thirty-two hundred Weasleys live?”

Several onlookers laughed and Ron turned very red. Hermione stepped between Ron and Malfoy, preventing Ron from using his very messed up wand. She cleared her throat and pointed at Professor Lockhart as he approached them.

“What’s this I’m hearing about signing photographs?” Lockhart looked down at everyone and grinned widely, showing off his incredibly white teeth. “Harry! Don’t tell me you’re the one organizing this meet and greet!”

Harry shook his head furiously but Malfoy nodded, shoving the first-year and his camera towards Lockhart.

“Harry Potter’s letting me take a picture with him!” The boy held his camera to his face and aimed it at Harry.

“Don’t be silly! Take one of Harry and I together! We’ll even sign it for you – It’ll be worth a fortune!”

Malfoy snorted, clearly amused. Lockhart draped an arm over Harry’s shoulder and pulled him closer, smiling wide for the camera. The camera flashed just as the evening bells rang. The crowd dispersed and Lockhart took it upon himself to escort them down to his classroom for Defense classes.

Harry forced everyone to sit at the very back of the class with him and started piling all seven textbooks on his desk, even borrowing some from Heather. Ron and Heather spent the class distracted with Harry, poking fun at him.

“Would I be a good friend, or a bad friend if I didn’t join your ‘Harry Potter Fan Club’?” Ron whispered, biting back a laugh.

“Shhh! The last thing I want is for anyone to even THINK that’s a real club,” Harry looked over his stack of books.

“Ok, but would I be a good or bad sister if I created an ‘Anti-Harry Potter Club’?”

Harry chuckled, “Bad because I’d have made it first.”

“Will you three be quiet,” Hermione hissed at them.

The entire class time she had been sitting at the edge of her seat, resting her head on her hands. They rolled their eyes at her and quieted down enough to hear what Lockhart was saying.

“– and now that I’m done talking about myself, let’s take a quiz, shall we? Just half an hour left so that should be plenty of time to finish all one-hundred questions.”

Before Heather could fully process what was happening, a quiz unrolled itself from thin air and landed on her desk. She took out a quill and started filling in questions. She filled out fifteen questions, guessing on almost all of them except for his full name – which was written all over every cover page of his books – and his Hogwarts House when he went to school here.

Heather had spent several days reading through his books, though she more skimmed them than anything. She skipped over any paragraph where he talked about himself and that made her realize that most of the books had hardly any facts. For every ten pages, only two pages were dedicated to actual dark arts.

Half an hour later she had completely guessed on the remaining questions and handed back the quiz. Lockhart had started grading quizzes out loud as they were handed in and thought it’d be best to just finish with no time for him to verbalize how poorly she payed attention to him.

“So far the only quiz graded at perfect marks is HERMIONE GRANGER,” he motioned to the back.

Harry quickly hid behind his books and Hermione sat up, smiling and nodding. Ron and Heather stifled some laughs. Several girls sitting in the front glared back at Hermione and Heather couldn’t believe the effect this man was having on everyone.

“Now, I expect everyone to study up for the next quiz and get at least above eighty questions correct. And if you have any questions, well I’m sure I’ll be easy to spot throughout the castle,” he winked.

The bells rang and everyone packed, ready to head out. Lockhart reminded everyone that next class they would be dealing with Cornish Pixies. A few students laughed causing Lockhart to reassure them they were very dangerous and terrifying beasts.

That night in the Slytherin common room, Draco was telling several of last year’s Quidditch players how awful defense classes were. Heather couldn’t help but sit down and listen to him bash the delusional professor.

“Cornish pixies? What’s he going to bring out next? A feral hamster?” Draco grinned proudly as several older students laughed.

Heather joined in on the banter, “You think he’d be able to catch one? I think he’ll spend the next class talking about how he once wrestled a cursed dustpan to the ground.”

The laughter continued and Draco narrowed his eyes at her. She shrugged, hoping to communicate no ill intentions, which seemed to work. He turned back around and patted the Quidditch captain on the back in a sporting manner.

“So when are you holding tryouts?”

“Why Draco? You thinking of trying out?” Marcus Flint chuckled along with some of the other players.

Draco’s grin dropped along with his arm. Marcus had been the Quidditch captain for Slytherins since he was in fourth year and was rumored to exclusively pick big heavy players. To Heather’s disgust, that meant only large-looking male students made it onto the team.

Draco was the exact opposite of what Marcus valued in a player. He was skinny and didn’t look like he had ever lifted anything heavier than a broom; he was tall though. He had grown several inches since she had last seen him but wasn’t remotely the tallest in their year.

“As a matter of fact I was,” Draco stood and walked over to the fireplace. He had a very serious face on and looked Marcus dead in the eyes.

Marcus laughed, “What position?”

“Seeker.”

Heather’s mouth flew open. “Against Harry?”

Draco shot her a venomous look, “What, Potter? You think no one could beat your bro – ”

“No!” Heather stood and walked over to Draco, “I think that’d be a good strategy for Slytherins actually.” This earned her a confused look from Draco, but he kept quiet and let her continue. “Harry’s small and light, meaning against Terrance, Harry is able to fly faster in the air.”

Terrance glared at Heather and Draco but said nothing. He was last year’s Seeker and had received a lot of grief from several Slytherins for letting Harry catch the Snitch. Marcus put a finger to his chin in thought, giving Draco hope.

“Alright,” Marcus said finally, “You can go to tryouts.”

Draco smiled and straightened his robes, “I will.”

He pulled Heather with him towards the opposite wall and faced the tall bookshelves. Heather leaned against the shelves, wondering what he was about to say. She swore if he was about to tell her he didn’t need her help she’d never help him with anything again. He was lucky she even decided to, considering how mean he was to her and her friends and Harry especially.

“What do you want for helping me?”

“What?” Heather looked at him confused. “I didn’t do it for anything. I want Slytherin to win, believe it or not.”

He looked at her for a few seconds, “Well what do you want anyways.” Heather continued looking confused, so he rolled his eyes and persisted, “Look, good business is both parties getting something out of an exchange. You helped me, so I owe you.”

Heather frowned and mulled over his words. Perhaps he was onto something. He wasn’t right in that someone being nice must want something back… but she HAD been nice and she didn’t want this to turn into her being expected to do it again. She didn’t want to turn into Harry who could hardly bring himself to crush that little Gryffindor boy’s feelings because he was too nice.

“Well…” She made up her mind on what she wouldn’t feel bad about asking for. “I want to tryout too.”

Draco’s eyes widened as he held back a laugh, “You? What position!” His face hardened suddenly, “Not Seeker, eh Potter?”

She shook her head, “Chaser. Same principals apply as the Seeker position. Except we’d have an advantage. I’m small, and all of Gryffindor’s chasers last year were big and tall. Just look at Alicia, Katie, and Angelina. Although Angelina and Alicia are far taller than Katie.”

Draco crossed his arms, “So you want me to convince Marcus to let you try out for chaser?”

“Yes. I’m not saying I have to be the one to throw in the Quaffle and score points… but I can fly it faster and dodge faster than any of those giants.”

Draco looked apprehensive but nodded and extended his hand, “Deal.”

Heather smiled and shook his hand, sealing the deal. “Also! Don’t tell Harry. I-I don’t want him knowing yet…”

Draco smiled again, “Same goes for me.”

Over the next several days, Heather and Draco woke early to practice before any of the Slytherins were up. The common room had a surprisingly high ceiling, perfect for Draco to dive down and catch falling candlesticks and for Heather to practice speeding and stopping before slamming into the stone ceiling, dodging the chandeliers. She was surprised he had let her practice on his broom though she had a feeling he enjoyed pointing out all her mistakes.

All Thursday morning Heather was thinking about becoming a chaser. She found it incredibly difficult to concentrate on what Professor Snape was saying and not imagine herself scoring point after point to the point where Harry catching the Snitch didn’t matter one bit. She shook her head and tried to focus.

Although Professor Snape was still furious with their behavior on the first day, his behavior hadn’t really changed much since last year. He was still nitpicking Harry and Ron’s brewing skills and ignoring Heather’s. The only thing she hated was that now she couldn’t show off what she knew already by answering Professor Snape’s sudden questions meant to trip students up. Instead he was asking them to Malfoy, who answered them somewhat.

At night, tryouts were posted to start at dawn the next day. By seven in the morning Draco and Heather were at the pitch waiting for Marcus and the other players to arrive. They could see several figures leaving the castle and heading down towards them.

“He’s letting you tryout but against Adrian Pucey,” Draco warned.

Adrian was almost a foot taller than Marcus and looked like he could lift one of the hoop posts and lug it around for fun. Heather’s heart started racing and felt like clutching her stomach but remained composed as the team walked onto the pitch.

“First thing’s first. Draco you can’t use your own broom,” Marcus grinned.

“What? But I’m allowed my own – ”

“I need to see your skill first. I know you’ll be faster on that broom, so use one of our ones,” Marcus took Draco’s broom and shoved a less polished one in his hand.

Draco took it and gripped it tight, kicking off with it. Marcus turned to Heather next and just shook his head amused. He had her wait with the rest of the team to focus on testing Draco against Terrance. It was interesting watching how Marcus decided to hold tryouts.

She realized he simply directly compared people against each other and took the best one. He had both of them do the exact same tasks with the Snitch and recorded their times and jotted down abilities. She was very strongly reminded of Ron with his Quidditch team cards, giving her the pros and cons of each player and using numbers to describe how ‘good’ they were.

When it came time for Heather’s tryouts, it was slightly different. There were several tasks she had to be able to do, like dodge the Bludgers that the beaters hit her way – which she did faster than Adrian – and be able to catch the Quaffle when thrown to her at alarming speeds. She needed more of her body to catch the large ball, not able to simply hold it under her arm like Adrian could, but managed well enough, only dropping three of the fifteen throws.

Next the beaters joined as chasers and she had to prove she could out-fly and out-dodge them while holding the Quaffle. Her dodging tactics weren’t strategic and more of seeing how she could squeeze past them before any of them collided with her. She almost fell off her broom trying to slide between two players causing them to crash into each other, which she noted made Marcus nod slightly.

Lastly, she had to be able to throw the Quaffle into the hoops while maintaining pace with Adrian and his throws. She made only five throws in – all at the beginning – and then missed twenty-one others. This was where being big and strong helped. She could hardly grip the ball with one hand let alone throw it the ten feet distance that Adrian held between him and the hoops.

She touched back down, drenched in sweat, and handed the broom back to Marcus who held no emotion in his face. The team left, leaving Draco and her to pick up the brooms, which Draco made her do alone while he talked about everything she did wrong, especially when dodging the players and catching the Quaffle.

“Yes, well isn’t that what practice is for? Teaching proper techniques and strategies?” Heather slammed the shed door closed.

If Harry or her friends had been there, they would be telling her everything she did right and assuring her she did fine. However apparently Draco had a different idea of what reassuring someone meant because he was relentlessly counting off reasons why he wouldn’t pick her for a chaser.

“However,” he changed his tone, “I suppose with faster brooms and an actual game plan… You could stick to intercepting the ball and getting it to Pucey or Flint. I could see that working.”

It wasn’t supposed to be meant as words of encouragement, but Heather decided to take it as that. They quickly hurried back to the Slytherin dungeons and got ready. Pansy saw Heather enter with Draco and immediately flagged her down, but the second she smelled Heather she backed away, commenting on how awful she looked.

The rest of the day was like any other. Harry, Ron, Hermione studied for classes and did homework in the library until dinner. The only thing different was how absolutely anxious she felt the whole day. And as the day went on, she had started to feel guilty over not telling Harry and worried he’d get hurt that she’d be playing against him. She also felt embarrassed every time she thought back to the tryouts and about how awful of a chaser she was compared to them. Marcus hadn’t even said a word after all of it.

She had been studying the book she bought from the bookstore every night and had tried to use her knowledge to help her. Even with the practice she had from the Burrow she still felt that she didn’t deserve a position on the team for all the reasons Draco listed.

She was on her way down to the dungeons after saying goodnight to Harry, Ron, and Hermione after dinner had ended when Draco caught her attention. He sent Crabbe and Goyle away and walked up to Heather and motioned for her to follow him. They stood several feet from the empty potions classroom door.

“We’ve made the team,” Draco said.

Heather stared at him, unable to gather any thoughts to her brain to respond with.

“You wanted to get on, didn’t you?” he frowned at her.

“Y-yes but… How??”

He looked around and whispered quieter, “My father’s making a very generous donation that Flint could not turn down.” He smiled as he pulled back, leaning against the wall.

“A donation? We didn’t make the team because we were any good?”

Draco frowned again, “Potter, don’t you know anything? It doesn’t matter how we made the team. What matters is we’re capable of staying on. Well I am anyways.”

Heather thought through his words again. She knew she could be a good Chaser like the women she read about in her book… and she doubted Marcus would have given her a chance to prove herself on the pitch anyways…

“What was the donation?” She needed to know how big the bribe was to decide whether to continue feeling bad or start feeling worse about all this.

“New brooms for the whole team,” he sneered.

Heather’s mouth fell open. “New brooms? For everyone? Permanently?”

“I forgot you’ve never owned a broom before. Yeah, permanently. Congratulations, Potter, your first broom. AND they’ll be better than your brother’s.”

Now she didn’t care how she made the team. She had a new broom! Her very own broom to obsess over just like Harry had all summer long. She smiled and nodded at Draco. They walked into the common room and joined the team – THEIR team as Marcus officially introduced them as Quidditch players to the whole house.

#  **~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~**


	6. Mysterious Murderous Voices

#  **~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~**

The next morning Heather was woken up by an elf. At first, she thought it was Dobby, seeing as they had the same features except for their eyes, except this elf’s eyes were slanted down and lower on their head. They had shaken her awake thirty minutes before she normally got up saying the Quidditch team was meeting in the staffroom, then they handed her emerald green and silver Quidditch robes and popped out of the room, disappearing before Heather’s eyes.

Heather bolted out of bed and put on her new uniform quickly. She ran out of the common room and sprinted all the way to the staffroom. She knocked and was let in immediately by one of the beaters who looked down at her and sighed.

She walked up to the team who were huddled around thin wrapped packages all in a pile in front of Professor Snape. She stood next to Marcus, who glanced down at her, and Draco who was grinning madly.

“Now that – everyone – is here…” Professor Snape looked at Heather with narrowed eyes. “I can hand out the brooms that have been – generously – donated to the Slytherin players.”

Draco beamed as Professor Snape handed out the brooms. Everyone tore open the paper wrapping and stared in awe at them. Marcus gave a half grin, very pleased with the trade he’d made for it. Heather let the paper fall and held up the broom. Her heart soared as she held it.

“Nimbus two-thousand and ones,” Draco said, pointing at the delicate letters painted on it.

“Now… the Gryffindor team is currently on the field practicing,” Professor Snape walked over to the chart by the door. “However, since you have two new players and they – do not…”

Marcus walked over to him and turned to the rest of the team. Professor Snape slid a note out form one of his cloak’s inner pockets and handed it over to Marcus. Marcus read it and grinned nastily, waving it in a show of triumph.

“Let’s go, then,” Marcus led them out of the staffroom.

They walked down the front steps and over the grassy hills briskly, causing Draco and Heather to fall behind easily. Heather started jogging to catch up to her teammates but remained behind. They made it to the pitch where she could see Ron and Hermione up on one of the stands eating breakfast. Up higher were flashes of light brighter than the morning sun and she could only assume came from the first-year Gryffindor boy and his camera.

One of the Gryffindor players – who Heather realized was Oliver Wood, Harry’s captain – came zooming down to the ground in front of Marcus, yelling about how the field was booked already and that they should leave.

“This is our practice time, Flint!” Wood was furious.

Marcus pulled out the slip Professor Snape had handed them and showed it to him, “Our practice time too. Wood.”

The Gryffindor chasers had come down as well to stand next to Wood, facing them. All four of them were tall and very intimidating together as they stood like a brick wall, attempting to block them. Heather could barely see what was going on, still behind the two beaters.

“This says you have a new Chaser and Seeker?” Wood looked around, unable to spot the two new players. “Where?”

Harry had come down now, along with Fred and George. Ron and Hermione noticed and came running down too, wondering what all the commotion was with the Slytherin players. Heather could hear Ron asking why everyone had stopped practicing.

“Here,” Marcus split the Slytherins allowing for Heather and Draco to come into view.

Draco took the lead and stepped forward, followed by Heather. Harry’s mouth dropped open as she gave him a sheepish smile and a wave. Ron smacked his forehead and Hermione gasped, looking around at everyone else’s shocked reactions.

“We knew it, didn’t we George?”

Fred nodded, “We called it back at the house. We knew you’d try out.”

“Just didn’t know it would happen so soon,” George gave Heather a thumbs up.

Fred looked down at Draco and frowned, “Isn’t your father Lucius Malfoy?”

Marcus uncrossed his arms, “Yeah, and he made a VERY generous donation to our team this year.”

Draco and the rest of the team held out their new brooms. Heather pressed her lips, knowing exactly how it would look to Harry and everyone else. Wood had been staring at the brooms already and only nodded at the presentation.

“It’s the newest model. Only a month on the markets and – ” Marcus looked down at Harry, who was still staring at Heather in her Slytherin Quidditch robes, “It beats last year’s two-thousand series.” He turned to eye Fred and George, “Do I even have to talk about your old Cleansweep Fives?”

“Don’t worry, I’m sure they can sell them to some collector. I hear they pay double the price for broom three centuries old,” Draco grinned.

Marcus, Adrian, and the beaters laughed and patted Malfoy on the back. Heather frowned and looked down, turning red. The one thing she hadn’t thought of was how awfully mean they were to her friends. Though it’s not like she could have just joined another team –

“At least none of them had to BUY their way in,” Hermione shouted at him.

Heather looked up suddenly. Hermione avoided her gaze and continued staring at Draco. Harry and Ron looked away from Heather as well, probably guessing that Malfoy had somehow gotten her on the team as well with the bribe. Malfoy stepped forward inches from Hermione causing Heather to step forward as well, putting a hand to his chest.

“Who asked you? You Mudblood.”

All of the Gryffindor players suddenly started shouting angrily as Malfoy stepped back, looking smug. None of the Slytherins said a word but stepped forward, allowing Malfoy to stay between them. Heather looked around at everyone yelling, not quite understanding what had happened.

Hermione looked just as confused as her and Harry, but Ron looked redder than she had ever seen him. He stepped forward and pulled out his wand. Everyone was yelling so loud Heather couldn’t hear what Ron had said but the loud bang that came from his wand made everyone turn.

A dark green light had flashed from the base of Ron’s wand and sent him flying backwards onto the dry grass. Heather dropped her broom and ran towards Ron, followed by Hermione and Harry. They propped him up.

“Ron! Are you alright?” Hermione touched his forehead.

Ron was squinting and holding his stomach, looking down at the ground unfocused. The Slytherin team had fallen on the ground with laughter. Malfoy was pounding the ground with his fist and pointing at them as they lifted Ron up and started walking him towards the exit of the Quidditch pitch.

It only took a few steps to send Ron falling down to the ground, belching slimy gooed-up giant slugs. Fred and George came running, putting a hand to his back until he was done and helped Ron back up to his feet. The Gryffindor boy came running onto the field as well, holding up his camera and yelling questions directed at Harry.

The boy lifted the camera ready to take a picture of the situation and before she could think things through, Heather smacked the camera out of his hands, sending it crashing to the ground. Harry apologized quickly and helped Fred and George carry Ron to Hagrid’s. Hermione and Heather didn’t speak the whole way there and barely looked at each other.

Harry suddenly directed everyone into a bush, which was a relief for Ron as he kneeled over to expel another slug. Lockhart had stepped out of Hagrid’s hut happily offering his assistance with some kelpie business and offering to send him a signed copy of his latest book. After Lockhart was well out of sight, they walked the ten feet to Hagrid’s door and knocked.

Hagrid opened the door immediately and was ready to yell when he looked down at the five of them and settled on a very green looking Ron. He opened the door all the way and Harry and Hermione helped carry Ron in. Heather was about to follow when George pulled her back.

“Not sure your captain’ll be too keen on you missing your first practice.”

Heather nodded sadly and walked back with them, “Should I not have joined?”

“Course you should’ve,” said Fred.

“We know how good your flying is,” George smiled down at her. “Just a shame you can’t play for Gryffindors.”

Heather laughed, “Don’t let the other Slytherins hear you say that… They’re always accusing me of betraying my house. ‘Cause of Harry and stuff.”

“Don’t worry – “

“They’ll get over it,” Fred reassured her.

They walked back onto the pitch and split up. She ran back over to where her team was practicing and was immediately put to work on drills with Adrian and Marcus. They practice for three hours with only one water break. Marcus warned her if she didn’t help improve the team he had another Chaser ready to take her place.

With that, she did her best to prove she could keep up. They didn’t yell at her about her mistakes but didn’t stop running the drills until she could manage to be decent at least half the time. When the lunch bells rang, they left the field and Heather could barely walk a few feet without needing to take a break.

Every muscle was aching, and she was beyond starving. Fred and George caught up to her and pushed her over, laughing at how easily she tumbled.

“Very funny, you two just wait till the game,” she slumped back, closing her eyes.

She heard Harry call her name and sat up, holding a hand up for cover and shade her eyes from the harsh sun. Ron was walking on his own now, and only spit out a little slug as they approached. Harry held out his hand and pulled her up.

She hugged him quickly, relieved that he didn’t seem mad. “I know they’re awful… but I wanted to play Quidditch too…”

Harry rolled his head back and groaned, “Just. Tell me you aren’t friends with Malfoy.”

“I’m not friends with Malfoy AT ALL,” she said easily.

Harry nodded and punched her shoulder, sending her tumbling backwards, “I didn’t mean to!”

“It’s ok… It’s just all the drills we did. I hurt all over…” Heather stood back up and turned to Ron. “Ron, are you alright? I wanted to stay but Fred and George thought I should go back.”

“Yeah, but Malfoy’s lucky my wand’s been snapped or he would’ve really needed to wash his mouth out,” Ron spit out another tiny slug.

Heather turned to Hermione, but she crossed her arms and “humf”ed onward. “What’s her problem?”

Harry and Ron shrugged. They walked up into the entrance hall and stopped the second they noticed Professor McGonagall with her hands on her hips being pointed in their direction by Hemrione. Ron turned to walk away but Professor McGonagall quickly called them forward.

“Yes, Professor?” Harry walked forward, smiling as best he could knowing fully well what this was about.

“Mr. Potter. Mr. Weas – Mr. Weasley are you alright?”

Everyone turned to look at Ron who looked like he was holding something in his mouth. He nodded quickly and gave a thumbs up for her to continue.

“Your detentions are this evening. Yours as well Miss. Potter. Professor Snape asked me to inform you considering you’d likely be hanging around these two,” she motioned towards Harry and an increasingly greener looking Ron.

“What’s the detentions?”

“Potter you will report to the Defense Against Dark Arts classroom and Weasley, you’re in the trophy room.”

“What about me?”

Professor McGonagall looked at Heather and sighed, “You’re in the library with Madam Pince.”

Heather tried not to look too happy, but something about Professor McGonagall’s face told her she wasn’t hiding anything. She nodded and retreated behind Harry.

Professor McGonagall gave them one last look, “Eight ‘o clock. The three of you… And no magic!” and left.

Ron finally spit out the slug into his hand and looked at Hermione, “You couldn’t have pointed her in the wrong direction?”

“Don’t be ridiculous Ron. I hope you three really think about what you did during your detentions,” she led the way into the great hall for lunch.

“Want to trade?” Ron asked, “I’m awful and cleaning the muggle way.”

“Gladly.”

Heather gave them warning looks, pleading them not to make things worse, and went to sit down at her table. She made sure to sit extra close to Pansy when she noticed her eyeing the grass stains on her uniform and pinching her nose.

The evening approached rapidly and it was time to head off to their detentions. They had been studying out in the courtyard under a blanket Hermione had brought and reluctantly pushed it off. Heather had initially been excited for her detention in the library, but the more she thought about it the more likely it seemed that Professor Snape surely gave her it for a reason.

She knew he knew she studied a lot and read ahead of everyone else so it couldn’t be that he had simply assigned the wrong kind of detention. They parted ways and Heather walked to the library, her feet slowing the closer she got. She opened the door and walked up to Madam Pince who looked down at her sternly.

“I’m here for my detention,” Heather tried smiling, seeing if friendliness was an option.

“I know why you’re here. When I asked for assistance,” Madam Pince stepped out from behind her desk and walked across the library to a small wooden door that looked to lead to one of Filch’s closets, “I expected to receive a careful and responsible student. A seventh year, perhaps. Not,” she looked down at Heather, “you.”

Heather gulped. Madam Pince grabbed the doorknob and shoved the door open with her hip. The small door did not lead to a closet, no. It opened up to a large room, half the size of the entire library, filled with tables facing every direction and books laid out everywhere.

Heather stepped through and looked around “What – ”

“You will be mending these books here for the evening,” Madam Pince walked forward and knocked on the closest wooden table with her knuckles. “Do as many as you can and then by twelve ‘o clock leave.”

Heather picked up a scroll and unrolled it, revealing instructions for how to re-spine books, sew up pages, and polish leather covers. She looked up at a door behind one of the back tables and Madam Pince cleared her throat and immediately scolded her for even thinking of that door. She gave no explanation as to what was behind it and left.

Heather got to work on reading the instructions and gathering up all the materials spread throughout all the tables and started fixing up books. Every ten minutes Madam Pince would throw the door open, as if trying to catch her on something, and inspected the work done so far.

It took Heather longer to listen to Madam Pince complain about how students mistreated her books than actually mending them. The door slamming the wall no longer made her jump, but she was quickly developing a migraine as time went on.

Heather sat up suddenly as a nearby grandfather clock chimed loudly signaling the fourth hour she had been there. She rubbed her face where she had laid it on the table for a quick nap and stretched. She stood up and pushed in her chair, ready to head out.

The door flew open for the last time, sending a gush of wind blowing her hair back. Madam Pince stepped through and analyzed the room. She walked slowly between tables, counting out the books, and running her long thin finger over several spines.

She was taking so long Heather felt just about ready to drop to the floor fast asleep. Finally, Madam Pince escorted her out and locked the library door. Heather yawned and headed down the stairs next to the great hall. She had never taken these stairs before, preferring always to go the long way that lead to the potions classrooms, enjoying the smells of draughts and elixirs she had first felt unsure of and now loved. Once inside the Slytherin common room, she yawned and headed straight to bed.

The following morning Harry had informed her of the mysterious voice he had heard in the classroom with Lockhart and it worried her. All she wanted was to not have to worry about getting yelled at about things they shouldn’t be meddling with and most of all she wanted to be done with their parent’s murderer and Harry’s twice attempted murderer.

For the rest of the month the four of them managed to stay out of trouble and avoid detentions. October was feeling different than the year prior to Heather. There was more coursework, more homework, and more depressing weather.

She hardly noticed the castle smelling like fresh baked pumpkin pie amid the smell of wet stone and tracked in mud. Filch jumped at the chance of yelling at any student walking into the castle from the outside regardless of how hard they tried to wipe the mud off, and Mrs. Norris seemed more agitated at the state of her wet paws from all the water flying off of drenched students.

Her studying habits improved however, now having read every chapter they were to cover in potions and herbology. Hermione had even started giving her extra work to do for charms and transfiguration to help her improve on her spell work. Although she understood that was incredibly kind of her, there was still a tension between them Heather could only guess was residual anger over joining the Slytherin Quidditch team. Every time Heather left them for practice, Hermione refused to say goodbye and instead shuffled papers or dipped her quill in ink.

It was always raining during practices but she loved every second of being up in the air. Her training had greatly improved, and although she would never admit to Harry that her and Draco were getting along really well, she could at least admit to herself that she might be more likeable than she had previously thought. Though, the civility between her and Draco did not mean she had forgiven him for calling Hermione a Mudblood.

On her way out of the stadium she waved at Harry who was on his way in. They had to limit their interactions towards each other due to their respective captains and the rival energy that was always around when Gryffindors and Slytherins were near each other.

Heather bathed and changed into her usual sweater and cozy bottoms and met up with Hermione and Ron in the library. They found a new spot near the back and started on essays. They were working on their third essay, potions, when Harry showed up almost an hour after he said he’d be there.

“Where were you?” Heather eyed him suspiciously.

“I was… talking to Nick – ”

“That ghost with that ruff around his neck?” Heather fluffed the air around her neck in what she hoped mimed what she was talking about correctly.

“Yeah. He’s invited us to his deathday party!”

Ron blew exasperated air out, “Do WE have to? It was just you he invited wasn’t it?”

“Oh Ron, you can’t tell me it wouldn’t be fun,” Hermione smiled, “How many times have YOU gone to a deathday party?”

“Can too. It wouldn’t be fun.”

But by the time Halloween rolled around Ron was being dragged past the great hall where the Halloween feast was going on, with all the candy and melted chocolate boiling in cauldrons and pumpkin pies and dancing skeletons, down towards one of the dungeons for Nearly Headless Nick’s deathday celebration.

Heather hadn’t realized some dungeons were colder than others. The ones near the potions classrooms, the Slytherin common room, and Professor Snape’s office were downright toasty compared to the one they were heading down into.

She tried warming her hands on the candles lining the passage to Nick’s celebration but the blue flames atop the black candles only brought greater chills down her spine. They walked closer together with every step they took nearing the room and looked at each other the second they heard the horrible screeching noises coming from inside.

Nick was floating at the door and greeted them with a quick bow of his feathered hat, “Welcome! Welcome!”

“I didn’t know Hogwarts had so many ghosts.” Heather tried counting how many ghosts were in the room but she lost count in the crowd alone.

There must have been hundreds dancing, talking, playing that awful music. They separated and walked around, looking at all the dreadful decorations – which to them must have been good. The chandelier had the same type of candles as the passage and the snack table looked like it had been set up last year judging by the amount of uneaten rotten food and flies swarming all around it.

Heather covered her nose and mouth and walked towards the back of the room. She wasn’t exactly excited to be down here, but she agreed with Hermione about how often she would ever get invited to another one. She took out her sketchbook and started drawing as much as the room as possible.

She hadn’t counted on how hard it would be to draw ghosts in a crowd, but the way their transparent bodies overlapped made it seem like there was just a white smudge across her paper. Now bored, she walked up to where the three of them were talking with Peeves and the ghost from one of the girl’s bathrooms.

“Hello Myrt – ” but before she could finish her sentence Myrtle had flown away from them crying, followed by Peeves who was yelling mean things at her.

At that moment a hunting horn sounded, and the orchestra stopped playing. Nearly Headless Nick floated over to them and crossed his arms in agitation at the ghost horses and fully headless horsemen burst through the dungeon walls.

“Welcome,” Nick said bitterly.

“Oh come now, Nick. Not still upset we won’t let you join us are you?” The ghost’s head was held firmly under his ghost arm as he talked.

Nick grumbled something Heather couldn’t quite understand and the headless ghost performed a few tricks with his head, stealing the attention away from Nick. Harry tried interjecting the unwanted entertainment by telling the headless ghost how scary Nick was, but all that got him was a sad look of pity.

The party started to decline, and they thought it was for the best they sneak away from the whole ordeal before things got worse. They hurried up the stairs, wanting to reach a warmer temperature sooner and found themselves stopped by Harry at the end of the entrance hall, several feet away from the Great Hall doors.

“Listen!” Harry tilted his head and looked around.

Everyone got quiet. Heather strained her hearing but all she could make out was her brother’s heavy breathing.

“Harry. I – ”

“Shhhh!” Harry interrupted Heather, putting his hands up to stop everyone from moving further. “Just shut up for a second.” He walked slowly towards the wall and turned his head carefully.

“I don’t hear anything,” Hermione whispered finally.

“That’s because you’re not listening!” Harry hissed.

He ran past the great hall doors, followed by the rest, and ran up the entrance hall stairs to the first floor past the staffroom. Heather was about to yell at Harry for acting so strange and scary when he bolted out of sight into a passage to their left. They sprinted after him and came to a halt behind him. He had his ear pressed to the stone wall.

Heather had enough of this, “Harry! What – ”

“SHHHHH!” He turned around to face them, “It’s talking about murdering someone!”

“What is!” Ron yelled at Harry as he ran up the stairs again.

They ran up the stairs to the second floor, now more concerned than ever. They spent an hour running after him as he combed the entire floor, hardly saying anything to them besides “hold on” and “be quiet”. Finally, panting and out of breath, they stopped behind him in a deserted passageway Heather recognized as the corridor to get to the left side of the castle from the Great Hall.

“Harry, WHAT was the point of all this?” Ron pulled the collar of his sweater up to wipe his sweaty forehead.

“There on the wall!” Hermione pointed.

Everyone turned to the wall Hermione was pointing to and gasped as their eyes scanned over scene.

“’Chamber of Secrets’?”

“’Enemies of the Heir, Beware’?”

Heather and Harry looked at each other.

“A chamber’s been opened? Like a door to some part of the castle?” Ron walked closer and jumped back suddenly. “Bloody hell! Filch’s cat!”

Hermione whispered “Lumos” and shined it on the floor.

Everyone looked down to see a gleaming red-tinted liquid spilled on the floors and dripping form the writing on the wall. Heather pulled Ron back away from it, feeling like something was about to happen to them. And almost immediately the distant chatter raised in volume as hundreds of students started coming down either side of the corridor.

Hermione put out her light and tried to back them up away from it before anyone noticed but someone screamed and the hundreds of chattering students fell silent, surrounding them. Students shoved and pushed, trying to move up for a better look or back away from the horrible sight.

Heather, Harry, Ron, and Hermione tried pushing their way through the crowd but were shoved back into the middle by several students who looked at them like the four of them were the ones who had tied Mrs. Norris to the torchlight by her tail.

Draco’s voice broke the silence, “See that Mudbloods? One of you’ll be next!”

Heather stared into the eyes of Malfoy. He was grinning, eyes gleaming, at the sight of Filch’s cat dangling by her tail.

He turned to look at Heather and raised his eyebrows mouthing the words “Careful who you hang with.”

#  **~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~**


	7. Heir of Slytherin

#  **~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~**

“WHAT HAPPENED TO MY CAT,” Mr. Filch pressed through the crowd of students and splashed through the puddle to her. He raised his hand to his mouth and turned to Harry, “You! You killed her! You killed my cat!”

“No! I-I didn’t – I-I wouldn’t!” Harry looked to Heather for help.

“We found her like that,” Heather started explaining but Mr. Filch jumped closer to them.

“Murderers! I’ll kill you! I’ll kill – ”

“That’s enough,” Professor Dumbledore’s voice boomed from down the corridor.

Filch went to untie Mrs. Norris and held her out to Professor Dumbledore as he neared the scene. He looked down at the cat and at Filch, he walked around them and read the dripping words on the wall over his half-moon spectacles.

Several other professors arrived, including Professor McGonagall who gasped loudly and looked down at the four of them, and Professor Snape who seemed more irritated than upset at them. Professor Lockhart made his way through and tisked loudly, waving his finger around as if he thought everyone was upset over a prank gone wrong.

Professor Dumbledore looked around, “Argus, please come with me. And you four,” he half-frowned at them, “as well.”

Lockhart sprang in front of them, “Oh, Headmaster! If it’s an office you seek, I would be more than happy to lend you mine,” he smiled, “It’s just above.”

The six of them and Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape walked up the stairs to the third floor and entered Lockhart’s office. He quickly lit some candles and sat at his desk with his hands together ready to talk but the Headmaster placed Mrs. Norris at a different table and everyone gathered around that.

Heather stood by the table, watching Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall examine the cat. She looked up and noticed Professor Snape trying very hard not to smile. Lockhart had started listing off all that could have possibly killed the cat, paying no attention to the loud sobs coming from Filch.

Finally, Professor Dumbledore spoke, cutting Lockhart off. “I am most certain, she is not in the least bit dead.”

Filch rushed to the table and started stroking the cat’s fur, “But why – ”

“It appears she’s been petrified. Unfortunately, I am not quite sure how it has happened.”

“Ask the Potters!” Filch spat at them.

Heather was about to speak out when Professor Dumbledore held out his hand to stop her, and apparently Harry who looked more like he was going to yell.

“Only someone with advanced Dark Magic skills could have done this, Argus.”

“Him! He did this to me on purpose! He found out – ” Filch tried to cut himself off but couldn’t. “Found out I’m a squib!”

“I wouldn’t do this!” Harry looked to Dumbledore.

So many questions about Filch were now answered for Heather. Though she still wondered why he worked as a caretaker seeing as it appeared he hated the work, and it seemed cruel to have him solely clean up after everyone’s magical mess the muggle way.

Filch was shaking his head at Harry’s words, “He done it. I know it, sir.”

“I don’t know what a ‘squib’ even is!”

“Someone with magical blood but not able to perform any magic,” Heather told Harry.

Harry mad an ‘I-get-it-now’ face and shut his mouth. Filch glared at Heather as if she had just insulted him, his mother, and his cat all at once.

“Headmaster,” Professor Snape paused to wait for a nod of acknowledgement before continuing. “It appears that they stumbled upon this by chance.” His lips turned up into a sneer, “However, it is still concerning what it was they were doing in that corridor. I don’t recall seeing them at the feast, do you?” he turned to Professor McGonagall.

“No, I do not,” she put her hands on her hips.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione immediately started explaining where they had been and about how the deathday party was and the rotten food.

“How convenient,” Professor Snape said slowly.

“It’s the truth, sir,” Heather opened her art book and handed it to him.

He flipped through the few pages of the ghosts and dark-lit chamber before handing the book back, “So you went. But what were you doing in the second floor corridor? Why not join the feast afterwards.”

Heather looked back at Harry, hoping he had a good explanation because even she wanted to know what it was that had led them there.

“We were – er – tired. We wanted to go to bed and uh-Heather was walking us,” Harry didn’t blink as he answered the question, looking straight into Professor Snape’s eyes.

A smile spread across his thin face, “Weren’t you hungry? You didn’t want any supper? Ate too many spoiled apples at the party?”

“We weren’t hungry,” Ron’s stomach growled.

Professor Snape’s smile stretched further, triumphant in catching them in their lies. “Headmaster, they are obviously lying. I suggest until Mr. Potter is willing to be truthful and responsible, he should be suspended from Quidditch.”

Professor McGonagall scoffed at him, forcing his smile to drop. “Severus. Really. Mrs. Norris wasn’t wacked with a broomstick so why would suspending him from Quidditch be an appropriate punishment? Shall we suspend Miss Potter from Quidditch as well then?”

Professor Snape shrugged, clearly indifferent, his smile sliding back onto his face. Heather pulled on her hair, anxious over what was going on at the moment.

“But really Headmaster,” Professor McGonagall turned back to Professor Dumbledore, seeing she wasn’t winning with suspending Heather. “There is zero evidence they did anything wrong.”

Professor Dumbledore looked from Harry to Professor Snape, “I have to agree with Minerva, Severus.”

“Fine then,” he said bitterly and started pacing back and forth slowly, all the while staring Harry and Heather down with narrowed eyes.

“Severus, Professor Sprout has Mandrakes growing. I believe you will be able to make a potion that can cure Mrs. Norris?”

Lockhart clapped his hands together, “No need to trouble him, Headmaster. I can make it just fine. Done it only over a hundred times in my years curing – ”

Heather interrupted him with an unintentional laugh she quickly muffled with her hands. Hermione gave her a fierce looked that she avoided for fear of further ruining their friendship.

“Pardon me,” Professor Snape’s voice was icy and low. “But if we could all recall that I am the Potions Master at this school!” He stared down Lockhart who pretended not to notice his furious demeanor.

“Oh, Merlins. No, I didn’t mean you COULDN’T brew it. I just meant we might want a practiced hand over – ”

Heather rolled her eyes, “Actual skill?”

The room went silent and all eyes were on Heather as she realized she had said it louder than she intended. She turned to Hermione and mouthed “sorry” but knew she would still get an earful about this from her. She felt Harry stifle a laugh too and Ron was more smiling at her than gawking. Perhaps they spent too much of their free time making fun of Lockhart.

Professor Dumbledore cleared his throat, “You four may go.”

They quickly walked out of the room. Hermione told Heather how rude she had been and that she should have apologized, as they walked down the stairs. “Not to mention how untrue – ” she was saying. Heather apologized over and over but couldn’t bring herself to admit that he might actually be talented. “A talented con artist maybe – ” was the most she could admit and that got her in even more trouble.

“Should I have told the truth?” Harry asked as he pulled them into a dark and empty classroom.

“Absolutely not,” Ron shook his head, though no one could see. “Hearing voices isn’t normal with wizards either.”

“Do you guys think I’m going crazy?”

“No. Of course not.”

“Really unlikely,” Heather agreed with Hermione.

“We believe you… but it’s just weird. Why can’t we hear it?” Ron sighed, “You don’t think it’s You-Know-Who again, do you?” his voice sounded weak.

“Not sure…”

The bells chimed and they rushed to their houses before Professor Snape had the chance to find them and give them detention. Or worse, suspend them from Quidditch.

As the week went on, all anyone could talk about was what had happened that Halloween night. There was a certain feeling going around, swallowing all parts of the school. People seemed to fear Slytherins more than normal, especially the Muggle-born students.

Someone that seemed more effected by it than Heather would have thought was Ginny Weasley. She was looking very worried and kept asking them if they were sure Mrs. Norris wasn’t really dead. They kept assuring her she was only petrified. She had even started sobbing when Ron suggested Filch or Snape should be next.

“Percy, you should really just talk to her.” Heather had found Percy in the dungeons one day and immediately voiced her concerns about Ginny to him.

“Thanks for your advice but I already have. She’s fine. It was just spooky is all.”

He rushed up the stairs leaving Heather with her arms crossed. In the library she was also telling Ron he should check up on her, but he was too busy measuring his essay on the “Assembly of European Medieval Wizards”.

“Does this look like three feet to you?”

Heather sighed and looked over, “Hold the ruler lower, that’s how he measures them.”

“Did you guys see that?” Harry had come over. “Justin Finch-Fletchley… he seemed odd.”

“Everyone seems odd lately. Have you even seen Hermione?” Heather un-scrolled the essay Ron had been using as a guide. “She wrote a full foot more than needed and she can’t stop reading for five seconds.”

“Talk about annoying,” Ron threw the ruler down.

Hermione emerged from behind a shelf, nose-deep inside a book. She hadn’t even heard what Ron had said.

She looked up, “Ron. Have you been reading my essay?”

“Only for ideas,” Ron said nervously.

Heather and Harry followed them as they bickered the whole way to History of Magic. It was there that Hermione’s true reason for her latest reading obsession was revealed.

“Professor Binns? Could you tell us about the Chamber of Secrets?”

Professor Binns looked down at Hermione and her raised hand. Suddenly everyone had woken up from the lecture he was giving and gave him their full attention.

“That is a myth. Since this is a history class – ”

Heather interrupted quickly, catching what Hermione was doing. “But it’s talked about in the history of Hogwarts textbook from last year.” She stuck her arm up.

Hermione gave her an approving look.

“Well… Yes.” He started reciting facts from the very beginning of Hogwart’s existence – losing several students in the process – until he finally got to what they all wanted to hear. “According to LEGEND – not fact – Slytherin built a hidden chamber and sealed it so that one day his heir, would be able to open it and unleash a beast meant to rid the school of any student who came from non-magical parentage. Nonsense. A story. The school was searched and nothing was found.”

The class erupted with questions and the rest of class time was just Professor Binns dismissing all theories on why it has remained hidden from even all Headmasters. When the bells rang he dismissed the class and huffed through a wall.

They walked slower than normal through the castle and Heather felt like there was something on everyone’s minds. All class long students had said nasty things about Slytherins and even Slytherins themselves had seemed rather proud of their house for what Salazar Slytherin had done.

“Why DID you get put into Slytherin?” Ron turned around to face Heather.

“I don’t know. It said I would find Slytherin useful.”

“What’s your opinion on Salazar?”

“Well… I guess I can understand why he didn’t want muggle-borns going to school here.”

Ron gasped, “Are you saying – !”

“No! I’m not saying I think muggle-borns shouldn’t study here. I just mean, back then, wizards were being hunted down and killed by muggles. There were even less wizards back then than now. I can see how he thought that it could be dangerous to let students with direct connections to muggles attend a school full of wizards. I mean, that’s why all wizarding schools were hidden to begin with… And I’m sure even parents back then felt safer knowing their children were hidden away at a school with no contact with muggles. He was wrong… but I can understand it.” She looked at Hermione who seemed to be thinking.

They started walking again.

“But to hide a monster in the dungeons – ” Ron pointed down.

“THAT I don’t agree with.”

“I still think he was evil. He’s the reason pureblood stuff exists and it’s no coincidence it’s ONLY his house that produces bad wizards.”

Heather scoffed at him, “Bad wizards aren’t ALL Slytherins. Only the biggest ones are because we are a house of AMBITION. So, what would you expect?”

“It’s the obsession with dark arts that’s turned them evil.”

“So if someone’s interested in the dark arts – ”

“They’re evil,” Ron nodded as if concluding the argument.

Heather rolled her eyes but said nothing.

“Harry! Harry!” The little boy with the camera was being moved passed them by a crowd of people they found themselves in. “Everyone’s saying you’re – ” and he was swept away.

“You’re what?” Hermione wondered.

“They’re saying I’m Slytherin’s heir. That’s why Justin Finch-Fletchley was running away from me and why everyone’s being so weird around me.” Harry turned up some stairs to get away from the crowd, followed by the rest.

They turned a corner and stopped, recognizing where they were. They were back at the scene with the writing on the walls. Harry decided they should all look around for clues now that no one was here and report when they found something.

“These spiders here. They’re traveling in a line through this crack,” Hermione pointed her finger at the trail of spiders exiting the castle.

“Spiders?” Heather was fighting with Ron, trying to both stay as far back as possible. “I hate spiders.”

“HATE them,” Ron nodded, shoving back.

“But you both use spiders – ”

“If they’re dead I don’t mind them,” Ron confessed.

“I do. I use magic to lift them. I just make sure Professor Snape isn’t looking. You ever been asleep and a dead spider carcass falls on your nose and you almost breath it in?”

“Ew!”

“But you’re wands not… ” Hermione stopped and looked to Harry.

“All the water was mopped up,” Harry looked around some more.

“I thought it was blood. It looked red-ish,” Heather looked around for any signs of droplets.

“It had a tint to it from the red drops of the wall writing…”

Ron walked over towards a door and pointed at the floor, “Was here wasn’t it?”

“From Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom?” Hermione walked over and opened the door. “Let’s go in then.”

Ron and Harry looked at each other but were pushed inside by Heather. The bathroom was in terrible condition. The sinks were broken, the metal rusted, the mirrors cracked, and the tiles were chipped.

Hermione was talking to someone in a stall at the end of the chamber. They walked up to her and looked inside at Myrtle, hovering above a seat with slumped shoulders.

“Only girls in here you know,” she looked at Ron and Harry. She continued looking gloomy until she saw Harry whispering in Hemione’s ear, “Talking about me behind my back? Think I wouldn’t care!”

“No. I wasn’t saying anything. We wanted to ask you…”

Myrtle had floated high above the stall, “I have feelings too! Just cause I’m dead – ”

“Please don’t get upset. We didn’t mean – ”

“’Don’t get upset’? Oh why would I get upset with people calling me names and – ”

“Did you see anything scary outside the bathroom the other night? Something that could have tied a cat to a torchlight?” Ron asked quickly.

“I was too busy trying to kill myself. Of course I couldn’t because I’m – ”

“Dead?” Ron winced as she dove towards him but missed and dove into a toilet.

“They should fix this bathroom up for her,” Heather was saying as she exited and closed the bathroom door behind them all.

“RON? What were you doing in – ” Percy came striding over. “The four of you, what were you doing in there?”

“We were wondering where all the water had come from,” Ron explained.

“If people see you here, they’ll suspect you four even more.” He started pushing them away from the area, “It’s for your own good.”

“You mean YOUR good. Really, you just don’t want me ruining your chances at making Head Boy!” Ron shrugged Percy’s hand off his shoulder.

“Five points from Gryffindor!” Percy glared down at Ron, “And don’t make me write to Mum about all this detective work!” He strode past them down the corridor huffing to himself.

Begrudgingly they DID end their detective work for that day. Though they continued it the very next week. Hermione had the idea to use Polyjuice potion to spy on Malfoy and the only way to do that was to get the recipe from a book which only a professor could give permission for reading.

“This is ridiculous,” Heather was telling them as they neared Professor Snape’s office. “Malfoy wants to MEET the heir. If he opened the chamber he would be bragging about it in the common room.”

“Just ask him for permission to take out Moste Potente Potions,” Hermione pushed her further along the corridor. “You’re one of his favorites so – ”

“Ha! Hilarious. I wish. I can have Harry and Ron to thank for – ”

“We didn’t force you in the car!” Harry growled.

Heather was about to respond but they all hushed up as Professor Snape’s office came into view. Heather gulped and knocked a few times, hoping he wasn’t there to answer but she knew the door being ajar likely meant he was. Their plan B was asking Lockhart but the librarian was extra strict around them since last year and would likely not accept the Defense professor’s permission for a potions book.

“Enter,” Professor Snape called from inside.

Heather looked back at them quickly before pushing the door open and walking in. Professor Snape was setting up a table with new looking cauldrons and stirring rods. There were empty jars with newly written labels sitting by a large book propped up and open to a potion to cure petrification.

“Sir?”

Professor Snape looked over and groaned, “What is it now Potter? More questions about the Demossification potion? Or perhaps you’d like to continue your attempt at getting extra lessons from me.”

She coughed awkwardly. She had thought she was being stealthier… “Sir, I was wondering about that book you mentioned last class, ‘Moste Potente Potions’?”

“’Moste Potente Potions’?” He repeated, pronouncing it correctly. “Why.”

“Just to read it,” Heather looked down at the table, “Are those new cauldrons?”

“I don’t want to risk residue contaminating the potion,” he said. He crossed his arms and looked down at her, “You’ll just – read it – for fun.”

Heather swallowed and nodded. It definitely would be fun to learn about what other potions are in there. “May I? Sir?”

He walked over to his desk and stood there for a moment. He picked up a quill and messily scrawled a permission slip. He walked back over, eyeing her carefully, “You will have a week and I will not grant you any longer with it, Potter. Understood?”

Heather nodded again, trying to calm her excitement. He handed the slip to her and turned back to his table. She was about to ask another question to do with the setup when he told her to leave in his annoyed and deep voice.

She left the door ajar and walked over to Hermione, smiling. They quietly celebrated and made their way up the stairs towards Lockhart’s class. They were having such a great day they didn’t even mind Lockhart’s reenactments of his books this time. Ever since the pixie incident, Lockhart had been forcing them to play out scenes from his books. Hermione always raised her hand for roles but it was Harry who he always picked.

Harry acted out his werewolf part as Lockhart pretended to use the Homorphus Charm and actually enjoyed himself for once. Several Gryffindors were laughing and Heather and Ron joined in on the howling when Harry had to. Hermione and several other students who seemed to admire Lockhart for more than just his books were the only ones who did not seem as amused this class period. Even Lockhart took the extra applause as a sign of good acting on his part and bowed.

“How’s about for homework, a poem! About how I defeated the werewolf affliction in the village,” he smiled at them. “Oh, and Harry! If you need Seeker advise don’t be embarrassed to ask me, I never mind helping out my fans.”

They left the classroom fast and headed down to the library. Harry was steaming over what Lockhart had called him – a “fan” – but Hermione was still just as cheerful as that morning.

“You only like him because he keeps calling you the best student of our year,” Ron joined in Harry’s mood.

“Not true,” Hermione opened the door to the library and entered.

“Not true for long,” Heather walked in after her.

Madam Pince was already waiting for Heather’s note, “Professor Snape is allowing this?”

“Yes,” Heather handed over the note.

“For a week,” Hermione reminded her.

Heather scowled at her for informing Madam Pince. The thin librarian read it over, opening up an old and dusty book she got from under her counter and flipped it open. She turned several yellowed pages and compared the note to one stuck inside the book.

Heather stood on her tip toes and leaned over to look. The note had the same scrawly handwriting as the note from Professor Snape. Madam Pince shut the book quickly and glared at Heather, putting the book back.

“Alright. One week you said?”

“Yes,” Heather admitted, still scowling at Hermione who paid her no attention.

She handed the large book over and they left the library. Hermione took the book and ran up the stairs, followed close behind by the rest. She continued leading them until she got to Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom.

“No, we can’t go in there!” Ron looked around for Percy.

“Yes, we can. No one will disturb us in here,” and she walked in.

Heather shrugged and dragged Ron in. They sat down in the opposite side of the bathroom as Myrtle and listened while Hermione read the recipe out to them. The further on she read the worse and worse the potion seemed.

“Right, so several of these ingredients we have…”

“We don’t have these,” Heather pointed to several higher-level ingredients. “These are in the student stores but only available to upper year students. And only between terms.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll get them,” Hermione reassured her.

“Hermione, but where are we going to get the bicorn horn! Or the boomslang skin?” Heather looked further down the ingredient list, “And it says here – ”

“Yes, I can read too.” Hermione was getting agitated.

“What?” Harry looked between Heather and Hermione.

Hermione sighed, “Well. We need Crabbe and Goyle’s hair… and I need a girl’s.” She stopped Harry before he could object, “We don’t need to worry about that till later though.”

“Yeah, because the potion takes twenty-eight days,” Heather folded her arms, having read enough.

“What are we going to have to do? Steal from Snape’s private stores? You know he wants to expel us already, right?” Ron looked to Harry who was thinking over their options.

“How else will we find out if it’s Malfor or not – “

“By trusting me? It’s not him. If you heard him you’d know – “

“Well that’s what we’re going to do, isn’t it?”

Hermione and Heather were glaring at each other. Harry couldn’t take the fighting anymore and gave in, causing Hermione to back off but earned him a stuck-out tongue from Heather. Heather took the book from Hermione and clutched it tight. Hermione rolled her eyes and left the bathroom and signaled them that the coast was clear.

“Though we won’t have to do any of this,” Ron whispered to them, “If one of you somehow knock Malfoy off his broom tomorrow during the match.”

“What and give Gryffindor the win?” Heather said and left.

#  **~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~**


	8. Brewing the Potion

#  **~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~**

It was the morning of the first Quidditch match of the season and Heather could not sleep for much longer. She woke early and showered, combed her hair for once, and put it up in a pigtail. She tried calming herself by reading but every few pages she had the urge to pace around the common room or jump to shake off her nerves.

Eventually Malfoy and the other members were up and ready to head down to breakfast. Flint sat them down and ran through the drills once more, keeping eye contact with each of them as he repeated the plan of attack.

“We aren’t losing this match. Or any other. Do what you must to win. Got it?”

“Yes,” Malfoy answered Flint.

Flint nodded and led them out of the castle to the locker rooms. They slid on their emerald Slytherin robes and followed Marcus in his pre-game yells. Heather stood up tall with hands up in the sky and yelled with everyone else. Pucey patted her shoulder roughly and hooked an arm around Marcus’ neck. Heather turned to Malfoy and gave him a thumbs up.

“Ready to see what a real Seeker looks like?” Malfoy gripped his broom tight.

Heather rolled her eyes. They hadn’t really talked since the incident with Filch’s petrified cat, and she thought it bothered him, even if it was a small amount.

“Try not to drop the Quaffle, Potter.”

He kept randomly trying to continue conversations and would sometimes pretend he didn’t notice her not responding. She was probably the only Slytherin who ignored him as much as she was. Everyone else constantly excused his rude behavior, especially the other team members since his father bought the brooms.

They headed out of the locker rooms and onto the pitch. Immediately the Slytherins positioned above them in the stadium started howling and clapping. Heather looked over at the Gryffindor locker rooms and watched Harry and his team walk out. The Slytherins booed at them and hissed; Fred and George bowed at them.

She waved at them quickly before taking her position on the pitch. Malfoy shook his head at her in disgust. She mounted her broom and watched Flint and Wood shake hands. Madam Hooch blew her whistle and at once, everyone kicked off, the crowd roaring and cheering.

The commentator started yelling at once, “FLINTS IN POSSESION OF THE QUAFFLE FOLLOWED CLOSE BEHIND BY ANGELINA JOHNSON AND KATIE BELL – IS THAT SECOND YEAR HEATHER POTTER AS SLYTHERIN’S THIRD CHASER? IT IS!”

Heather darted forward to her position opposite Pucey, both covering Flint from the oncoming Gryffindor chasers. Angelina cut Heather off and leveled with Flint –

“JOHNSON’S TAKING POSITION TO TAKE THE QUAFFLE AND – ”

Flint threw it over his shoulder to Heather like they had done for hours during each practice.

“TOO SLOW, JOHNSON. POTTER IS IN POSSESION – “

Heather dove down and dodged Katie Bell, speeding up closer to the hoops and making a sharp turn to avoid Alicia Spinnet’s outstretched hands.

“POTTER IS BEING CHASED BY ALL THREE OF GRYFFINDOR’S CHASER – “

Heather threw the ball down under her suddenly, and led the chasers up higher until they realized she no longer had the Quaffle.

“ADRIAN PUCEY HAS SCORED THE FIRST TEN POINTS OF THE MATCH – “

Forty points later, Heather felt rain drops on her face as she followed Flint back towards the Slytherin hoops. She saw Johnson catch the Quaffle and look over at Bell. Heather dashed forward and cut between them, shocking Johnson and forcing her to let go of the Quaffle too late in her throw.

“BELL MISSES THE CATCH – FLINT IS ON HIS WAY BACK – “

The three Gryffindor chasers were on him immediately. Heather ducked under an incoming Bludger and looked over at Adrian, nodding at his signals. She darted down a few feet from Marcus and kept pace with him. Marcus zoomed left and right trying to ditch Spinnet and Bell while Johnson lunged for the Quaffle.

“THESE LADY CHASERS ARE REALLY TRYING FOR THE QUAFFLE – “

They were nearing the hoops and the Gryffindors were getting more aggressive. Adrian signaled Marcus from above but right before Marcus could throw it, Bell attempted at an early interception. Marcus kicked at her broom, jerking her away, and threw the ball down.

“POTTER IS IN POSSESSION – “

She caught it with both hands and tucked the Quaffle under her arm, gripping the broom tight. She shot forward, glancing momentarily at the Bludger aimed for Marcus, and threw it to her right at Adrian just as the chasers rushed her. Adrian threw it back to Marcus but Spinnet had caught on to the game and focused on Flint.

“THE GRYFFINDORS HAVE DISRUPTED THE SLYTHERIN’S FORMATION – “

In this situation the Quaffle would have gone back to Adrian who was trying to get rid of the other two chasers but Johnson and Bell stayed firmly between Adrian and Heather. They were nearing the hoops and Spinnet kicked the end of Flint’s broom, sending him jerking left. He was in the middle of aiming and let go of the Quaffle too early, sending it flying up.

“OH NO – “

Heather immediately darted after the ball, catching it. She heard Pucey’s whistle and rotated her broom slightly while still traveling forward. She could see the chasers ready to intercept. Wood moved down to the third and bottom hoop at Pucey’s throwing range and it was at that moment that Heather turned back to the top-most hoop and threw it in.

“POTTER SCORES HER FIRST POINTS THIS MATCH! THAT’S SIXTY TO ZERO! SLYTHERINS IN THE LEAD – “

Flint gave her a warning look and she nodded, heading back over towards the Slytherin hoops. Bell had the Quaffle and like they had done all game, they bolted down in all directions around her making it nearly impossible to throw to any of her fellow chasers.

Just then, Madam Hooch’s whistle went off and the game was paused. She touched down next to Marcus and looked over at the Gryffindors. It looked like Fred was exclaiming about something; he kept pointing at Harry and over at the Slytherins.

“Have you guys been seeing that Bludger?” Malfoy touched down and pointed at the Gryffindors, “It really wants to take Harry’s head off!”

“What do you mean?” Heather looked over at Harry again.

Madam Hooch was approaching them and Wood and Fred were looking like they were arguing over Harry. Harry turned to Wood and seemed to plead with him about something.

“I’ve been laughing the whole time watching those Weasleys try to keep the Bludger away. We haven’t even been hitting that one.”

Heather looked over at the teacher section of the stadium and wiped the rain from her eyelashes. Professor Snape seemed to be conversing with Professor McGonagall and hardly looked over at the pitch.

The whistle blew again and Heather kept her eyes on Harry. The second he kicked off a Bludger darted towards him, ignoring George who was closer. The match became even more intense now. Heather had to loop and swirl to avoid the Bludgers as Fred and George aimed them now, ignoring the one chasing Harry. She hadn’t realized how good they were at being Beaters until now.

“PUCEY HAS THE QUAFFLE – BACK TO FLINT – “

Heather chased after Marcus, blocking Johnson the whole way, until he got close enough to score.

“SLYTHERIN SCORES ANOTHER TEN POINTS – GRYFFINDORS WHERE ARE YOU…”

Heather managed to score three more times, driving their score up to one hundred-twenty to ten. After every score she looked over at Harry to see if he was still hanging in there. She looked over to him and saw a Bludger hit his arm. She gasped as she watched him hold his broken arm to his body and almost dangle off the broom with another Bludger on the way. Harry lunged passed Malfoy, nearly missing him, and dove straight down.

She stopped half-way down the pitch and watched horrified at Harry until she noticed the golden Snitch was inches from his broom. Malfoy was so confused by Harry’s sudden charge towards him that he just stared at him and watched him dive.

“Malfoy! The Snitch! Hurry!” Heather got his attention and pointed down.

Malfoy’s eyes widened and dove after him, but it was too late, Harry’s hand had wrapped around it just in time. Harry hit the wet ground and rolled to face the sky, holding the Snitch up for all to see. The stadiums went wild – all except Slytherin who booed and yelled. Then Harry’s arm dropped and the Snitch flew away.

Heather flew towards him and touched ground by his side, “Harry!” Heather took his shoulders and shook him. His eyelids started to flutter, “Harry, are you ok?”

“Not to worry! Not to worry!” Lockhart shoved Heather aside and leaned over him.

Harry opened his eyes and looked around, finally settling on Lockhart, “Oh nooo…” he groaned. “Someone else…”

Madam Hooch and both teams gathered around Harry. The crowd was still cheering but a few Gryffindors were spilling into the pitch to look at what was happening.

“He’s joking,” Lockhart chuckled and looked around at everyone.

“No I’m n – “

“I’ll fix your arm in an instant!” Lockhart took out his wand and Harry tried to squirm away.

“I don’t think – “ Heather was cut off.

“There!” Lockhart swirled his wand and pointed it at his arm.

In an instant Harry’s look of pain turned to pure confusion. Several people gasped and the Gryffindor boy with his camera started taking even more picture. Heather put her hands to her mouth and stared at her brother’s arm as it turned into a fleshy noodle with fingers.

“Oops, sometimes a side effect… Uh, Miss Potter, Mr. Weasley why don’t you help him to Madam Pomfrey’s?” Lockhart got up and started backing away quickly.

Heather helped Harry up and led him away from the crowd. Ron tried not to look too horrified while Hermione kept the boy and his camera away from them. Harry looked down and moaned at his arm, trying to lift it.

“Least it doesn’t hurt,” said Ron looking less mortified.

Madam Pomfrey put Harry in a bed and poured out a cup of Skele-Gro. Ron was back to bickering with Hermione about Lockhart and Heather left them so she could change out of her robes and take a shower. She ate dinner with the Slytherins, who were still upset over the loss, but all around impressed at how well she did during the game.

“Scored forty points yourself, didn’t you?” Crabbe asked.

Heather nodded, biting into her second sandwich and enjoying the glares she was receiving from a very jealous looking Pansy. After the match, which felt like it lasted hours, she had been beyond starving. The whole school was having an early dinner because of the game and a light snack was available just before everyone needed to be in their houses for the night.

“If that Bludger wasn’t being so bloody distracting, I would’ve spotted that Snitch,” Malfoy was complaining.

“We’ll talk later,” Marcus frowned and looked away.

Malfoy’s cheeks had gone slightly pink, “right.”

“I think you did really well, Draco!” Pansy smiled at him, earning a glare from Marcus.

Before bed, her, Ron, and Hermione visited Harry once more just as he was taking his third dose of Skele-Gro. He groaned in pain and clutched his limp and boneless arm. Heather offered him some cookies and he stuffed them in his mouth, chewing very fast.

“Heather did you see Malfoy or Flint jinx that Bludger?”

She shook her head at Harry, “We didn’t do that.”

“But how can you be sure?” Ron crossed his arms, “Not like they’d tell you.”

“Because we’ve been focused on techniques and moves. Marcus has been working with Draco for WEEKS on Seeker training. It didn’t seem like our plan was anything but ‘Be Good and win’,” Heather looked into Ron’s eyes, not backing down.

“Slytherins are sneaky, they still could have just not told you – “

“RON – “

“Alright! You two, stop it,” Hermione crossed her arms and pointed her finger at them. “This fighting is pointless.”

“We’ll figure it out tomorrow,” Harry winced as he pulled the sheet higher, “Could be Snape again.”

Heather and Hermione both rolled their eyes at him. Ron however looked like a new door of possibilities had just opened up. Madam Pomfrey walked over, yelling at them about how Harry needed to rest, and saw them out of the hospital wing.

The next morning after breakfast, Hermione wanted them to get started on the potion. They went to the second floor girl’s bathroom and entered a large stall together. Ron complained the whole time but stopped when he realized how prepared Hermione was already.

“Ew, you’re putting it in there?” Ron covered his nose.

Hermione had lifted the seat lid and dumped a blue fire into the bowl, “Quit exaggerating. These bathrooms haven’t been used for years.” She took out a cauldron from her bag and rested it over the fire.

“Hermione? How did you get the upper level ingredients already? It’s not end of term yet and – ” Heather was looking through the ingredients in her bag.

“I asked Professor Sprout if I could see what some plant ingredients looked like and while we were in there… I grabbed a few things,” Hermione started taking out jars and bottles and setting them on the toilet tank.

Ron raised his eyebrows and blew out air. Heather couldn’t believe what she had just heard. That definitely wasn’t a Hermione move. This just showed how scared she was about the monster and the other muggle-borns – and how far she’d go to stop this.

“Did you hear about what happened to Collin Creevey?” Hermione asked, bringing the starting liquid to a boil.

“Who’s that?”

“The kid always taking pictures of Harry,” Ron informed her.

“Oh… What happened? Camera broke?” Heather turned back to Hermione, wanting to correct the angle at which she was stirring.

“Yes. But what’s really happened is he got petrified.”

Heather gasped, “Where!”

“Apparently, he was on his way to see Harry last night…” Ron frowned and looked into the cauldron, which was starting to smell.

“That’s why we have to get started on this – hold the book higher Ron – we can’t let anyone else get hurt.”

Just then Heather heard the bathroom door open and shushed them.

“It’s me,” Harry called over.

Heather opened the stall door and let him squeeze inside with them, “Is your arm boney now?”

“Yes. Why – “

“We thought we should get started, because of Colin. We heard he’s in the hospital wing. Petrified,” Hermione, stirred harder.

Heather took the stirring rod from her hand and took over the delicate potion making.

“We’ll get Malfoy to confess – “

“He isn’t the heir – “

“And then he’ll pay,” Ron growled.

“Why would I lie?” Heather didn’t let her agitation affect her stirring.

“Heather, Dobby came to visit me last night,” he held his hand up, “He’s the one who closed the barrier! And!” he held his hand up again. “And he’s the one who jinxed that Bludger!”

“First, I told you it wasn’t us – “

“But why did he do that?” Hermione started shredding knotgrass into the cauldron.

“That’s not even the weirdest thing,” Harry had their full attention, “He said the Chamber of Secrets had been opened AGAIN. As in twice!”

They were in silent shock for a moment before Ron huffed and spoke up.

“It’s obvious isn’t it? Malfoy’s dad must’ve opened it the first time and now Malfoy’s following in his footsteps – “ Heather smacked her cheek in frustration but Ron went on, “Bet he was told exactly how to do it. Probably tested it out on Colin.”

“Ron,” Heather wanted so desperately to shake his shoulder but continued her measured stirring. “Please. I get Malfoy’s awful but are we really suspecting him while he’s going around the castle asking every pureblood if it was them?”

“Regardless, we’ll find out who. But did Dobby tell you anything – Ron flip the page please – about the monster in the chamber?” Hermione pulled her frizzing hair back behind her ears as the steam of the cauldron increased.

“No.”

“You stir while I pour in these wings,” Heather handed off the rod to Hermione and picked up the jar, adding handfuls in every other stir around the cauldron.

The potion was pretty much complete, minus a few ingredients that they had already but took time to be ready, and of course the two ingredients from Professor Snape’s private stores. They halved the fire and left the cauldron there and Heather promised to be back every so often to give it a look and a stir. They carefully exited the bathroom, double checking to make sure Percy wasn’t around, and pretended that the potion brewing in Myrtle’s bathroom never existed for the rest of the day.

December rolled around and took hold of the castle immediately. The windows were frosty, the air was chilly, the dungeons could leave anyone frozen, and the decorations were up everywhere. Heather noticed the fires roaring bigger and extra blankets all around the common room. The small green plants around the common room had little silver baubles that dragged the leaves down.

One Saturday morning, while Heather was sat on a rug reading through her guides and the transfigurations textbook, Professor Snape entered with a quill and scroll. Once again Harry and her hadn’t talked or made plans about it at all, and they didn’t need to.

Heather stood up and made her was to the small line that was forming. Again, Draco sneered at her, but she took the quill and signed her name anyways. Staying at Hogwarts for the holidays was a dream come true, considering the nightmare it would be to be around Dudley and how intense he got when he shredded open gifts. The gloating afterwards was especially annoying.

Heather was on her way back to her spot when she noticed Draco walk over to Professor Snape, take the quill, and write his name. Heather stared at him, shocked. Even Professor Snape furrowed his brows in confusion and watched him walk away.

“Are you really staying?” Heather sat back down on her rug.

Draco leaned against the arm of the couch and leaned back, “And miss another incident?” He smiled and walked away.

During lunch Heather, Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat under a leafless tree and huddled together in front of one of Hermione’s blue fires. Heather knew telling them Malfoy was staying would only further their suspicion but what choice did she have. They’d bump into him eventually.

“Malfoy’s staying over holidays.”

Ron gasped loudly, “AND YOU THINK HE’S NOT INVOLVED?”

“That WOULD be the perfect time to test out the monster again,” Harry eyed Heather, clearly wanting her to open her own eyes.

“Oh please,” Heather sighed, “He wants to be there for another incident. Not cause one.”

“Listen. We have to take the last two ingredients tomorrow,” Hermione closed her book.

“Um, how on earth are we going to do that?” Heather had been worrying about this very moment for weeks now. “We’d have to STEAL from Professor Snape’s OFFICE,” she hissed. “How could we not get expelled after that! How would we even do it?”

Hermione moved her mouth around as if deciding what words to use, “You guys cause a distraction – just five minutes TOPS – and I’ll slip out of the classroom, get the things, and slip back in.”

“’Slip in and out’. You make it sound easy,” Ron hugged his knees closer.

“It’s a plan,” Harry gulped. “What choice do we have?”

“Great! It’s a plan,” Hermione opened her book back up.

“All behaving, are we?”

The four of them jumped at the sound of Percy’s voice behind them. They stood and turned to face him, hoping he hadn’t heard a word of any of that. He had been threatening to write to Mrs. Weasley at every mistake any of his siblings made.

“Y-yes,” Heather glanced at Ron and Harry beside her.

“Good,” Percy smiled and pulled his robes tighter, walking across the courtyard and into the castle again.

They turned to watch him leave, sighing together at the close call.

“That was close,” Ron laughed.

“What was?”

They jumped and turned around again to face Fred and George who were both looking down at them suspiciously.

“N-nothing,” Ron’s ears went pink.

“What are you two doing?” Heather asked quickly, trying to lead the conversation.

“Us?” Fred smiled.

“Misbehaving like normal. Though I think we’re not the only ones…” George looked at Ron.

Ron turned to Hermione for help but before she could open her mouth George continued.

“We think Percy’s up to something.”

Fred and George chuckled together. No one dared ask what that something was for fear they’d stay longer and pry something out of them. Fred and George looked at them weird, probably because of the uninterested silence, and walked away. They turned back once to eye them suspiciously and heading in the direction Percy went.

“Can you believe how close that was?” Ron wiped a bead of sweat from his brow and looked around as if expecting Ginny to pop up next.

“We need to find a better spot to plan things,” Harry nodded.

The second year Gryffindors had study hall before dinner and so Heather waved them goodbye and headed towards Myrtle’s bathroom. Myrtle wasn’t there – probably swimming in the plumbing like normal – so Heather didn’t worry about being quiet.

She gave the potion a quick stir and made sure the fire was still there and closed the bathroom stall again. She sighed and walked over to the sink, looking at herself through the cracks and dots on the mirror.

She knew Malfoy wasn’t the heir. She knew Malfoy didn’t know who opened the chamber. It couldn’t be a Slytherin because Malfoy had already asked every pureblood there and she didn’t think anyone would pass up the opportunity to raise their social status. If it was a Slytherin, Malfoy would have made them his new best friend already.

Stealing from one of her favorite teachers felt wrong. She didn’t doubt herself on it not being Malfoy and so stealing also felt pointless and like an unnecessary risk at expulsion. “Should I tell him then?” she whispered.

“Tell who what?” Myrtle floated down, scaring Heather.

“You’re the fourth person to scare me today,” she clutched her heart and the sink tightly.

“That ugly am I!” Myrtle started sobbing again and the sink pipe started spilling, creating a growing puddle on the floor.

Heather quickly jumped back as the puddle started covering more area, “No! No, I’m just jumpy. Actually, the other three people could be considered good looking, so it absolutely isn’t about looks.”

Myrtle dried her eyes, “Really?” She pulled on her braids and floated down to sit on the sink, “So who were you going to tell what?” Within seconds her teary eyes turned curious and mischievous.

Heather thought for a moment, “Myrtle? If your best friend was going to do something bad… like disrespectful… to someone else, would you tell on them?”

Myrtle looked down at her shoes and kicked the air a bit, “No.” She jumped into the air and dived into the sink drain.

Heather put her hands on her hips and nodded, “What did I expect?”

She decided she would go along with them tomorrow but that didn’t put her conscious at ease. That night she could barely keep her eyes closed for more than a few minutes without feeling her heart rate quicken at the thought of getting expelled.

She wondered how well Ron, Hermione, and Harry slept every time they needed to do something against school rules. She didn’t just feel guilty about it. She was terrified at getting yelled at. Especially from Professor McGonagall who was always there when a student needed a stern talking to. She sighed and pulled the covers over her head and took out her wand and potions guide. She studied for an hour before falling asleep with the book still in her hand.

#  **~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~**


	9. Tears and Snakes

#  **~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~**

Heather’s stomach felt awful the next morning. Her anxiety was thrashing inside her and it was a matter of minutes until the start of potions. Heather tried to keep her breathing under control around Harry, Ron, and Hermione as they walked to class.

She led them past their usual potions classroom and into a passageway that led into the one of the larger dungeons that one of the Prefect girls had shown her at the start of term. The doors were already opened, and students were filing in.

Heather noticed the twenty or so large cauldrons already set up between desks and small fires lit underneath. All the anxiety she had been feeling had swept away in an instant and replaced with pure excitement. She pulled Ron and Harry to the front, following Hermione, and sat as close to Professor Snape’s desk as possible.

Harry was visibly vibrating with stress and Ron looked an even worse shade of green then when he was coughing up slugs. Hermione, however, showed no signs of trouble which was probably for the better since she was the one who needed to do the actual dirty work.

During breakfast Ron had snuck into his brother’s rooms and taken one of their Filibuster Fireworks that he swore wouldn’t blow up the whole room. Heather saw him playing with it in his pocket and pulled his hand away just as Professor Snape entered the room.

The lesson this time was full of new ingredients they hadn’t studied yet. Heather recognized them nonetheless, having spent the last two months reading and studying ahead. She noted that he had mentioned several of the new techniques form her guide but with seemingly simple twists, like when to swirl the rod at surface level or having it scrape the bottom of the cauldron depending on the size of the bubbles produced.

She jotted everything down extra neat in her notebook and silently clapped with enthusiasm when he gave the all clear to start the brewing process. She poured in the base liquid following his instruction, pouring it in in small doses closer to the bottom of the cauldron to avoid extra air added into the liquid, and fed the small fire by exactly one leaf to increase the heat.

Soon everyone had their Swelling Solutions well underway with Professor Snape making his rounds between desks. Heather took her ladle and scooped up some liquid and poured it back in slowly, showing off the creamy consistency as Professor Snape walked by. He pulled an edge of his mouth up into a miniscule crooked smile and turned to face Harry.

Harry looked away, pretending he wasn’t noticing Professor Snape standing in front of him and leaning over his cauldron. Professor Snape took Harry’s ladle and scooped up liquid, pouring it back out and sneering at it. The Swelling Solution looked like murky water and splashed back down in chunks.

“You never cease to impress with your consistent poor attempts at simple potions, Potter.”

Harry wasn’t listening. Heather saw Hermione give Harry a slight nod and remembered what it was they were supposed to do. She felt suddenly light-headed and her stomach was doing flips as fast as her heart was beating. Professor Snape moved onto other students and she saw Ron hand Harry the firework.

Behind Professor Snape’s back, Harry aimed his arm up and threw with all his might. Hermione, Ron, and Harry stared as the firework landed inside Goyle’s cauldron with a GLUP – Heather was trying not to watch from behind her desk, covering her eyes with her fingers.

There were sudden loud pops and Goyle’s solution exploded out of his cauldron. Heather ducked under her desk and pulled Harry down with her, who in turn pulled Ron down. Professor Snape turned suddenly and ran over just as half the class – mostly the Slytherins – were showered with the liquid. Malfoy and Goyle were yelling in pain as their noses and hands swelled.

“Quiet! SILENCE!” Professor Snape’s usually quiet voice was booming as he roared his demands.

Heather looked up and saw Hermione had already left the classroom, all while Professor Snape tried to calm the screaming students who were now having trouble hold up their heads and arms. He accioed two spray bottles and told students to line up, spraying each one several times. After students had returned – Hermione was back by this time – Professor Snape stood at the front of the class looking absolutely enraged.

He took Goyle’s cauldron and ladled up the remnants of the firework. “When I find out who did this – “ he was barely opening his clenched jaw, keeping his teeth bared in outrage, “IMMEDIATE EXPULSION!”

Professor Snape turned to stare at Harry and Heather. She thought she was going to burst out in tears. Harry, however, looked confused with an air of innocent astonishment. The bell rang suddenly and the four of them left the classroom faster than ever before, bags unzipped and materials not yet dried.

The second they entered Myrtle’s bathroom Harry turned to Hermione, “He could tell I threw it! Did you see how he glared at me when he saw it?”

“He won’t be able to prove it. No way he can,” Ron held the stall door open for them.

Hermione handed Heather the last two ingredients. She immediately got to stirring, avoiding everyone’s eyes, and poured in the powder every two complete stirs until it was gone. Everyone was unusually quiet as Heather worked. She dumped in the boomslang skin and reversed her stirs, prodding the bottom every few minutes.

“It’ll be ready in two weeks,” Hermione said quietly.

Heather placed the rod on the tank and pushed passed them, ignoring their looks of concern.

“Heather? I’m sure he won’t find out who it was – “

“How can you be sure!” Heather turned on them, tears spilling over despite her best efforts. “We’re going to get expelled!”

“He can’t prove it!” Harry tried to hug her but she pushed him away.

“You said it! He KNEW. HE KNEW IT WAS US. HE LOOKED RIGHT AT ME,” Heather was fully crying now, wiping away the tears on her cheeks like windshield wipers left on high. “MY FAVORITE CLASS! How can I be better than Malfoy if Professor Snape KEEPS HATING US!”

Hermione stepped forward, “By studying harder – “

“What’s it matter what he thinks?” Ron was angry now too, “He hates us so who cares – “

“I CARE RON! I love potions and Malfoy’s always saying I’m the worse twin!” Heather sat down on the ground and brought her knees up to her face, “I just want to be good. I just want to beat him.”

“Anything Malfoy says is automatically wrong. And you are DEFINITELY not the worse twin,” Harry gave her a small nod.

Hermione sat down beside her, “I can help you get better – “

Heather looked at her with an intensity that made Hermione back away. “YOU help me? I’m better at potions than you. And you’re the one who came up with this stupid idea EVEN THOUGH I ALREADY SAID IT ISN’T MALFOY AND ITS NOT A SLYTEHRIN!”

“Shhhh!” Harry urged them to be quieter, “Please…”

“Well, I’m sorry. I’m sorry but we need to make absolute certain it isn’t him.” Hermione pulled Heather back up, “I’m really sorry.”

Heather wiped her eyes and nodded, “I forgive you if you promise not to risk my grade in potions ever again.”

Hermione nodded, “Let’s go, before someone hears us.”

The following week Heather noticed several Slytherins gathered around the notice board talking very enthusiastically. She pushed through and saw a piece of parchment pinned up about a new club starting up.

“Dueling Club?” Heather whispered.

“Interested? Think your brother will join? I’d love to turn Potter into a frog in front of the whole school,” Malfoy turned to Crabbe and Goyle, “And you two want a second round with Weasley, right?”

Crabbe smacked his fist against his hand, “Forgot to show him a few moves.”

“Right… Do you know who’s going to be teaching then?” Heather hoped it wasn’t Lockhart since he was the Defense teacher.

Pansy, who had been eavesdropping behind them, jumped into the conversation immediately, “Oh! Draco, I know who.”

“Who then,” Malfoy was looking annoyed.

“I was in the staffroom last month and overheard Professor Snape complaining about it to McGonagall. I think he had brought it up to Dumbledore but he didn’t like the idea,” Pansy stepped in front of Heather and smiled.

Heather butted her back, “It sounds like he got it now then. Wonder if he’ll be as good a teacher as he is in potions.”

“Considering he’s wanted the defense position since forever, I should hope so,” Malfoy left to study at one of the desks.

After dinner Heather met up with Harry, Ron, and Hermione and sked them if they were going to go. They talked for a bit about it – she decided not to tell them Professor Snape would be the instructor – and they decided to go.

Eight o’ clock rolled around and the four of them rushed back down into the great hall, which had been transformed to fit the club’s needs. All the tables were gone and a long stage stood in the middle of the room. There were students from all years and houses gathered around the stage with wands ready for battle.

They joined the crowd and looked around. Hermione had said she was sure it was Professor Flitwick and Ron had said it would definitely be Professor McGonagall if it was anyone they knew. Harry agreed she would be the most likely especially with how fierce she seemed. Nobody would want to face her in any match or duel, so Heather thought perhaps Ron would be right if it wasn’t Professor Snape.

Everyone quieted down as a door opened behind the high table. A figure with upswept hair and colorful plum robes came out and several students groaned, including Ron, Harry, and Heather. Hermione gave a small jump of delight and shushed people as he got onstage.

“I told Professor Dumbledore I would cause a great turn up,” he smiled brightly.

“No one knew you were the instructor!” Malfoy shouted from the back.

Several students laughed but Lockhart pretended not to hear what Malfoy had said.

“I would like to introduce my assistant, Professor Snape!” he clapped and looked at one end of the stage.

Professor Snape made his way up in his usual black clothes, minus the long cloak he always had on. He stood next to Lockhart with a mildly irritated expression and folded arms.

“He knows a small thing or two about dueling – “ Professor Snape turned to Lockhart and was about to say something but Lockhart quickly stood in front of him and continued. “So, I have asked him to assist me with some small demonstrations!”

Heather looked over at some Slytherins and noticed they were all wearing the same expression she had on. She was sure Lockhart was lucky to still be standing and talking, especially with the look Professor Snape was giving him.

“Maybe they’ll end each other once and for all,” Ron whispered in Harry’s ear.

Hermione turned and shushed him. Professor Snape’s upper lip was curling and Lockhart seemed completely unphased. They walked away from each other until they were a few several feet apart and turned to bow; not a single strand went out of place when Lockhart bowed while Professor Snape’s long shiny strands of black hair fell forward like a curtain with his quick and slight bow. She wondered if Lockhart used spells on his hair since it wasn’t shiny enough to be gelled up.

They pointed their wands at each other, and Lockhart turned again to the students, “See here, we’re in perfect combative positions.”

Professor Snape was facing Lockhart sideways with his forward foot facing him, legs apart and bent, while Lockhart was facing him full on with bent knees. She figured, once again, Lockhart had no idea what he was talking about. She moved closer to stand in front of the stage, Harry, Ron, and Hermione followed, tired of standing on their toes.

“Counting down from three we will cast our spells, hoping to knock the other down,” he turned to Professor Snape, “I’ll make sure not to send you flying too far.”

Professor Snape bared his teeth and counted down with Lockhart, “Three – two – one – EXPELLIARMUS!”

A flash of bright light shot from Professor Snape’s wand and hit Lockhart in the chest before Lockhart could even cast his own spell. He went flying backwards and landed on the floor several feet away from the end of the stage.

She couldn’t help but cheer with several students, including Malfoy and other loud Slytherins. She kept clapping, ignoring Hermione’s look of disapproval, until Lockhart climbed back onto the stage and quieted the crowd; one strand of hair finally out of place.

“Very good, very good. Thank you, Professor Snape for helping me demonstrate the disarming spell – Although you should work on not being so obvious about your spells…” Professor Snape looked about ready to murder Lockhart and bury him underground. Lockhart coughed and turned away quickly, “Anyways let’s get you all paired up! Professor Snape, if you’ll be so kind,” Lockhart motioned to one half of the room.

Harry and Ron stood ready alongside Heather and Hermione but Professor Snape stopped them before they could begin.

“I think not,” his icy smile told them they weren’t going to have an easy time. “Weasley. Finnigan. Over there. Miss Granger, go with Miss Bulstrode here and,” his smile spread wider, “Mr. Malfoy why don’t you partner with Potter. See how that goes.” He turned to Heather and pointed at Pansy who waved at her, “Go.”

Heather sighed and stood with Pansy. Lockhart instructed them to begin and they did. Heather bowed at Pansy, not taking her eyes off her, and pointed her wand. Pansy smiled wickedly and counted down with Heather.

At the count of ‘one’ Heather quickly yelled, “Expelliarmus!”

She watched a flash of light leave her wand and head towards Pansy and almost didn’t realize one was heading right for her. She made to move but was struck and sent flying backwards. She landed on her back and gasped at the shock of the fall. Her elbows hurt and she groaned as she sat up, rubbing her back.

Pansy was still lying on the floor looking for her wand. Her wand! Heather looked around and saw it a few feet away. She quickly picked it up and turned back to Pansy. Heather jumped out of the way of an incoming spell and sent another expelliarmus back, hitting Pansy once more.

She looked over and saw Harry and Draco using other spells and frowned, realizing most other people were using more than just expelliarmus. Lockhart was yelling over the scream, reminding them to only use the one spell but got drowned out in all the mess.

Suddenly she was blinded by another spell from Pansy, only this time she felt she had been flung from her hair. She fell to the ground, still clutching her wand, and ran behind the stage. She massaged her scalp and poked her head out ready to aim the See Double spell when Lockhart started really panicking and yelling for everyone to stop.

She cast it anyways and laughed, seeing Pansy now unable to accurately aim, casting spell after spell to the left of her. She stepped forward and looked up at the stage.

“Everyone! Everyone!” Lockhart was yelling.

“Finite Incantatem!” Professor Snape roared.

Everything seemed to stop instantly mid motion. Ron was apologizing to Seamus, holding up his broken wand; Malfoy and Harry were straightening their clothes; and Hermione was being pinned in a headlock by Bulstrode which Harry quickly managed to break up.

“Perhaps I should have taught you to block the spells, too.” Lockhart looked around and smiled, “Why don’t we use some volunteers on stage, huh?”

Professor Snape’s black eyes glinted momentarily and looked over at Harry with a twisted smile, “Let’s use Potter and Malfoy.”

Lockhart turned to him, “I was JUST about to suggest that! Well done, Professor.” He waved Harry up to the stage and leaned down to whisper some things to him, dropping his wand in the process. Professor Snape turned to Malfoy and whispered something that made Malfoy smile from ear to ear.

Heather pressed closer to the front as Harry and Malfoy walked away from each other and turned on their heels, wands pointed and ready for combat. Lockhart counted them down laughed cheerfully as they raised their wands.

Harry wasn’t saying anything so Heather turned her attention to Malfoy as he yelled his first spell.

“Serpensortia!”

A long black snake shot out of his wand and landed with a thud on the dueling stage. Everyone gasped and moved back as it slithered and made its way towards Harry. The silence broke with a scream as the snake raised itself and eyed Harry wearily.

“Stay where you are, Potter. No sudden moves.” Professor Snape smiled and began walking forward, “I’ll cast it away…”

“Too easy!” Lockhart stepped forward and pointed his wand, “Here – “ there was a loud bang and a burst of light shot out and hit the snake, sending it flying to the edge of the stage.

Another shriek was heard from the crowd of students. Heather jumped back and gasped as the snake shook its head and hissed at everyone nearby. A student closest to the snake tried pushing back the crowd, wanting to get farther, but was quickly stopped by the violent hisses aimed at him. The snake was baring its fangs and eyed him, ready to strike at any second.

Out of the corner of Heather’s eyes she saw Harry step closer. She turned and saw him open his mouth and hiss something at the snake. He was doing it. He was doing the thing he’d done at the zoo!

“Harry don’t!” Heather cried out to him but he was the only one who didn’t hear her.

All eyes were now on him as Harry slinked closer to the snake, hissing slowly as the snake swayed and calmed. Heather swallowed and looked around at Ron and Hermione’s faces. They looked scared and confused. Professor Snape was watching intently, also looking concerned? Heather knew that wasn’t a good sign.

The great hall was in shocked silence watching the snake coiled itself and sit still as if soothed by Harry’s hissing. Harry looked up at the boy the snake had been hissing at and smiled.

“Think you’re being funny, Harry?” The boy shoved past the crowd and exited the great hall.

Everyone broke out into harsh murmurs as Professor Snape flicked his wand at the snake, causing a cloud of dark grey smoke to erupt from it, disappearing it from sight even after the air cleared. Everyone stood in silence.

“We need to get Harry out of here,” Ron whispered at Hermione and Heather.

Heather nodded and started clearing the way, pushing people aside and hushing others as Ron tugged Harry along behind them. Hermione was biting her nails the entire way to the library.

“You have less than thirty minutes!” Madam Pince called from the back room.

“We know!” Hermione called back.

“Can you please tell me what’s going on?” Harry yanked his arm back and looked at Heather as they took their seats in a secluded table near the back.

“Harry why haven’t you mentioned you’re a Parselmouth!” Ron hissed.

“What’s a Parcelmouth?” Harry ran his fingers over his lips.

“You talk to snakes!” Ron pointed back in the direction of the great hall, “You understand them, don’t you?”

“Woah woah woah. Harry can’t UNDERSTAND them, right Harry?” Heather laughed and looked at him, but all he did was look guilty. “Harry?”

“Well I mean, at the zoo that snake was talking and – “

“No, that snake wasn’t talking. You hissed at it – “

“Hissed??” Harry’s face went pale, “No I spoke. Like actual words – “

“No, Harry,” Ron looked around before continuing, “Harry you hissed at that snake in there. And if Heather says the snake wasn’t saying words, then you were understanding its hisses.”

Harry stared at Ron for the longest time before wiping sweat off his brow, “But – I’m sure loads of students can do it too…”

“It’s really rare…” Hermione whispered. “I read that Salazar Slytherin could talk to snakes.”

Ron swallowed, “People are going to – “

“To think you’re his heir!” Heather dropped her head into her hands. She could tell already this was going to be another difficult year for them.

“Well I’ll just tell people I’m not!” Harry stood, ready to march over to the great hall and yell it to the school.

Hermione held his shoulder, turning him back, “And how will you prove it? He died a thousand years ago. Do you even know for sure you aren’t?”

Harry and Heather looked at each other. They would be the last to know ANYTHING about their family. On either side. It was pure luck they even knew their parent’s names before even meeting Hagrid.

“Time to leave,” Madam Pince appeared suddenly, making them jump. “Before I alert your heads of houses that you’re up after hours.”

They walked out of the library and split up, Harry telling Ron and Hermione he’d catch up to them. Harry and Heather walked down into the dungeons and turned into an unlit passageway.

“Do you think that’s what we are? Heirs of Slytherin?” Harry’s voice sounded tired and hoarse.

“No… I don’t know. I think we would have found out. Everyone knows more about us than us, so I’m sure it would have come out already,” Heather tried patting Harry’s shoulder but missed. It was too dark to see anything, and it felt like they had stepped into a void, surrounded by nothing but darkness.

“If we had Slytherin blood, the hat would have put us both in Slytherin, right?”

“Yeah,” she lied. She really doubted that was how it worked, although it did seem oddly peculiar that ALL Weasleys had been placed in Gryffindor.

Harry pulled her out of the darkness and hugged her good night. She walked into the Slytherin common room, prepared for all the questions she was sure to get. Almost everyone was there, sitting and talking among themselves.

“There she is!” Someone yelled from the back.

“Potter,” Draco turned, leading the questioning. “Are you a Parcelmouth too?”

“No,” Heather walked closer to the crowd. She could use their curiosity to her advantage, maybe convince them Harry wasn’t one either. “And neither is Harry.”

“We heard him!” A first year called out, frowning at her.

“We all did.” Draco scowled, “Why deny it?”

“Maybe they’re heirs. Heirs of Slytherin – “

“Them?” Draco looked at her murderously, “As if. If anything it’ll be a Pureblood – “

“Like you?” Heather stared at him back.

He scoffed and turned away, done with the questions. “Trust me. If it was me, Granger would have been the first to go,” he snapped his fingers and entered the boy’s dormitories with Goyle and Crabbe at his heels.

People started shouting more questions, but Heather just stood there, looking after Malfoy. She really hated him sometimes. Last year all he ever talked about was wealth and Slytherin loyalty, and now it was all about blood status and magical abilities. She couldn’t believe they were almost friends at the beginning of term with him helping her get a spot on the team…

If she didn’t need him to help her get those private potions lessons, she would have punched him in the face weeks ago. Him and Pansy both. Something in the pit of her stomach told her things would only get worse with him. Maybe she should learn some hexes ahead of time, before he ended up using them on her, like he always talks about using on Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

#  **~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~**


	10. Evil Dark Wizards

#  **~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~**

Ron, Hermione, and Harry’s herbology lessons had been canceled so they joined Heather on her study hour in the great hall. The snowfall from earlier in the morning had turned into a raging blizzard now and the enchanted ceiling was covered in dark grey angry-looking clouds.

“We’ll go find him after this,” Heather assured Harry.

Harry had spent the last twenty minutes worrying about the student who had gotten mad at him during dueling, Justin Finch-Fletchley. Ron and Hermione didn’t think he should go confront him. They were both more on the side of letting people forget about what had happened, whereas Heather thought it was better to come up with an excuse and stop rumors from spreading.

Harry wasn’t having it and convinced her to ditch study hall – only accepting since all her work was finished anyways after half an hour. They shivered and walked around where they knew lots of second years normally hung out, but he wasn’t there.

“Library then,” Harry pulled her along.

They snuck past Madam Pince and made their way through every section, finally spotting a group of Hufflepuffs in the back. They were all huddled close together, hushing each other and whispering urgently.

Harry and Heather approached slowly, curious as to what was going around Hogwarts as of late – Heather hoping it wasn’t anything about yesterday’s incident. They paused just around the corner of a shelf as they heard their last name being whispered.

“Proof? How’s about the fact Filch is always yelling at him about tracking mud and then his cat gets attacked? Or Creevey? Constantly trailing him and annoying him with his camera. He sent the monster after him too. Now Potter’s going to send it after Justin.”

“If I were Justin, I’d be staying away from him too. I mean what more proof do you need besides the fact that Salazar and him are both ‘Serpent-tongues’. And the other one is in Slytherin. I bet she’s the heir actually.”

“You mean she’s a Parcelmouth too?”

“Yeah. Except since she’s the one opening up the chamber, she needs to hide it better. Bet she didn’t count on Harry letting it slip in front of so many of us.”

“Probably taking orders from Malfoy on who to go after. Of course, she’d defend her brother first though.”

The group of Hufflepuffs went on, getting more and more elaborate about their theory, calling them ‘Dark Wizards’. Harry tensed up beside her and made to move but she held him back, wanting to hear more.

“Do you think that’s why You-Know-Who went after them? Didn’t want any competition? Can’t have two other Dark Lords around if you want to rule the world, am I right?”

“That’s it,” Harry hissed.

Heather tried holding him back again but he shoved her back and marched forward. The group continued whispering until Harry cleared his throat, getting everyone’s attention. They all froze and turned deathly white, two even stood up as if to run for it but Harry blocked the only exit. Heather stepped out too and looked at everyone’s terrified faces.

“None of that is true. You’re just spreading rumors and making up stories,” Harry clenched his jaw, staring everyone down.

One of them stood up, causing another to pull him back.

“Ernie don’t – “

Ernie pointed his finger at Harry, “We all saw you. We saw you chase that snake towards Justin.”

“Chase it? I calmed it down! If it weren’t for me Justin would be in the hospital – “

Everyone gasped and Heather pulled him back behind her, “He means, that the snake would have attacked him on his own.”

Ernie swallowed hard, still trying to find the courage to keep talking to them, “The snake was fine until Harry – “

“No, it wasn’t! Were you even there?” Harry stepped closer, causing Ernie to fall back onto his chair.

“I’m a Pureblood! So, don’t get any ideas. Whole family’s pure,” Ernie held out his wand.

Heather pulled Harry back, wanting to leave since nothing was going the way they wanted.

“What do I care about that? I’m not the heir! Why would I want muggle-borns killed!” Harry was standing his ground.

Heather pulled harder and finally had him following her.

“Notice how she didn’t say she wasn’t the heir?” One of the girls in the group continued.

They ran out of the library, ignoring Madam Pince’s warnings against running, and stopped just outside to catch their breaths.

“Can you believe them?” Harry was saying, starting down the corridor to get away still.

“I can’t believe they think I’m a ‘Dark Wizard’. Just because I’m a Slytherin – “

“Well it doesn’t help you’re friends with Malfoy – “

Heather punched him in the arm, causing him to wince and turn to her, “We are NOT friends. Just because we play on the same team doesn’t mean I’d ever be friends with someone who could wish Muggle-borns dead or think anything less of them. The IDEA of blood status sound really dumb to me.”

Harry rubbed his arm but turned away, not ready to apologize. “Hagrid?”

Heather turned and saw Hagrid walking down the corridor covered in snow, pink-cheeked and breathing heavy. He waved at them and held up his other hand which was holding something limp and lumpy.

“How goes it yeh two?”

Heather spoke up before Harry, “Good. What’s that?”

“Chicken,” Hagrid held it up, “Second one I found like this. Don’t know what’s goin’ ‘round killing them, but I bet yeh it’s those bugbears. Watch out for those blood-suckers, they’ll go through a whole hen coup in a month if yeh don’t watch out.”

“But, why do you have it in here then?”

Hagrid started ushering them forward, “Need Dumbledore’s permission to tuh put a charm on the coup.”

They walked Hagrid for a few minutes, listening to him complaining about the chickens and left him a few minutes before their transfiguration class. Harry continued venting as they made their way up the stairs and turned into a corridor.

“Why aren’t you bothered by this?”

Heather sighed, “I am. I just don’t know what we can do. I need to think abou – AHHH – Ouch!”

“What the- “

They had both tripped over something. The corridor was unusually dark, though Heather had figured the torch had just iced over since it was so cold. She stuck her hand in her bag as Harry helped her up and pulled out her wand.

“Lumos.” Heather gasped as she pointed her wand down on the body of Justin, “We have to – oh no, we have to tell someone!”

“They’ll think it was me for sure,” Harry shook his head and gripped Heather’s arm tight. He turned and started towards the transfigurations classroom where Professor McGonagall was currently teaching in. “Ugh!” He felt something like cold spider-webs in front of him, “Shine it over here.”

Heather turned around and screamed, not expecting to see Nearly Headless Nick a few feet away from her just floating there with a glassy stare and a foggy body. Harry ran towards her and covered her mouth.

“This is really bad, Heather! Everyone knows Nick and I talk. If we get McGonagall everyone will think I did this!”

Heather bit her lip and thought for a moment, surprised she could hear herself over her thumping heart. “What if I get Professor Snape – “

“What??”

“He doesn’t have class and it’s not like he’ll try to make a show of it. If you get Professor McGonagall then everyone will walk out with her and see us.”

Harry didn’t say anything but Heather pulled him along anyways. They made it two feet before a shrill laugh echoed through the corridor and Peeves came bounding down.

“Where oh where are the wittle Potties go – “ his eyes widened at the sight of Justin and Nick, “WE’RE ALL DOOMED! THE DEAD AND THE LIVING! ATTACKS! ATTACKS! WE’LL ALL BE ATTACKED!”

“No no no!” Heather put her hands up to shush him, but it was too late. Every door along the corridor ahead opened and people came pouring out and flooded the corridor in front of Harry and Heather. There were shouts and pointed fingers at both the petrified victims and Harry and Heather. Teachers were shouting for quiet but couldn’t manage it until Professor McGonagall came storming through, holding her wand up and letting off a loud bang.

Everyone quieted down and looked on as she came over, looked at the hovering ghost and still student and turned, ordering everyone back inside their classes. The teachers started herding everyone back but the rumors had started up again.

“See, what’d I say? It’s the Potters!” Ernie yelled for all to hear before his teacher shushed him and closed the classroom door.

After the corridor was clear, Professor McGonagall called a house elf and sent them to retrieve Professor Flitwick and Professor Sinistra. Harry and Heather stayed silent while they arrived and were given orders. Professor McGonagall watched as they took care of Justin and Nick and finally turned to address Harry and Heather.

“Potters. Follow me,” she led them down another corridor and stopped in front of a large stone gargoyle. “Lemon drop.”

The gargoyle started turning on its stand and the wall behind it opened up, splitting in two, and revealed a staircase that spiraled upwards. Professor McGonagall motioned for them to climb first, and they did. They stopped at a large oak door with a golden griffin mounted on the center, stepping back as it opened slightly before Harry could even knock.

They stepped inside and the door closed, making them jump. Heather had thought Professor McGonagall was right behind them, but they were alone in a giant circular room with a desk opposite the door they just stepped through. There were glass, brass, and silver instruments along the walls and a small amount of books placed sporadically on the back shelves. The only shelf filled to the brim with books was the one on the bookshelf behind and to the right of the desk, which struck Heather as odd. But maybe not, considering all the trinkets and oddities surrounding the desk.

Heather turned and saw Harry had already made his way towards the desk and was reaching for the sorting hat.

“Don’t. Touch.” Heather frowned at him.

Harry pointed behind her, “Look!”

She turned and saw an ancient looking bird perched on a golden floating rod. It turned its head in their direction and eyed them quizzically. Harry came over and lifted a finger to pet it, but it burst into flames suddenly before their eyes.

“Oh!” Heather backed away while Harry looked around.

Before they could do anything, the fire died and a pile of ash fell to the golden platter under the rod. They jumped as the large oak door opened and Professor Dumbledore stepped in, looking at them with tired eyes.

“Professor, I’m so sorry. Your bird burst into flames,” Harry pointed at the pile of ash.

Professor Dumbledore chuckled and motioned for them to sit down in chairs he summoned in front of his desk. “Took him long enough.”

Heather sat down cautiously, “You knew he’d burst into flames?”

“Well Fawkes is a Phoenix, most fortunately,” he smiled at them.

“Phoenixes burst into flames? Isn’t that dangerous to have in,” Harry looked around at all the nice things inside the room, “Your office?”

“Why don’t you go look in the ashes,” Professor Dumbledore waited for them to walk over before continuing. “They are reborn from their ashes.”

Heather and Harry bent down and saw the pile of ash was moving. Heather helped shift the ash with her pinky and smiled as a little red baby bird opened its eyes at her.

“Come by and see him another day. You’ll find he’s even more amazing on non-Burning Days. Fascinating creatures they are. Very strong and even more faithful. Although some only see their value in their healing tears, but I see it in their spirit. I’d like to think it is the same as mine… Now,” he looked at the seats and they immediately sat back down, “Let’s discuss – “

The door flew open, banging very loudly on the walls as Hagrid burst through.

“Professor Dumbledore, sir! I was conversin’ with them a floor below, SECONDS before they found that child. They had nothin’ ter do with it – I’d swear on everythin’ – ”

“Hagrid I don’t think – “ Professor Dumbledore held up a hand but Hagrid was still going on.

“Yeh can take me to the Ministry an’ I’ll testify – Veritisirum if I have tuh!” Hagrid’s limp chicken was losing feathers all over the office floor.

“Hagrid!” Professor Dumbledore’s voice boomed loudly, and Hagrid finally stopped. “I know.”

Hagrid nodded, slowly taking in his words. “Oh… Well then – erm – I’ll be headin’ out then…”

Heather smiled at him and waved a silent thank you. He smiled back and nodded, closing the door behind him. They turned back to Professor Dumbledore and waited while he smoothed out his beard.

“You know it wasn’t us?” Harry broke the silence first.

Professor Dumbledore smiled gently at him, “I’m absolutely positive it wasn’t either of you.”

Harry smiled and sat back in the chair, relaxed. Heather felt very light suddenly, but noticed Professor Dumbledore’s expression had turned very seriously concerned.

“I am asking, however, if there is anything you two would like to tell me,” he looked at Harry first and then at Heather.

She thought about Harry speaking to snakes and what Ernie and his friends had said about them but was sure that’s not what he meant. He likely knew the rumors already or was told by Professor Snape or Lockhart, and would also likely take no interest in school drama.

“No.”

“No,” Heather echoed Harry’s response.

Professor Dumbledore continued smoothing down his beard and nodded. The door opened behind them and he smiled, telling them to have a good day. The door to his office closed behind them and they walked down the stairs silently. They exited into the corridor to find Fred and George waiting for them.

“Ah. Our favorite Dark Wizards,” George strode over and took Harry’s bags.

“Please, allow us in exchange for our lives,” Fred took Heather’s bags and pushed them along.

“What are you guys doing?” Heather laughed.

“Trying to get on your good sides,” George lead them down the stairs and around a corner into the snowy courtyard where Ron and Hermione were waiting with food.

“Harry! Heather!” Hermione ran and hugged them.

They sat down on a clean bench and took the plates of food from Ron. Fred and George joined them, explaining it was best they don’t have dinner with the whole school today.

“What happened? They’re saying Nick was petrified too,” Ron spooned some potatoes into his mouth.

“It looked like it… I didn’t know the monster could affect ghosts,” Heather wasn’t sure if she wanted to talk about what happened while eating and decided to let Harry tell them what happened.

They finished eating and huddled closer to Hermione’s fire as it started snowing again. She didn’t know why she felt like venting now, since Harry had done most of it earlier, but she did.

“They’re saying we’re Slytherin’s heirs, aren’t they? Ernie was telling people I was the one who hurt Mrs. Norris, and Creevey, and he’s saying I hurt Justin and Nick too, isn’t he?”

Ron looked sad, “Yeah… I’m sorry I keep saying Slytherin’s are all bad… Ernie and his friends are saying you’re the evil twin because you’re in Slytherin. And that’s just wrong.”

Heather smiled and hugged him, “It’s ok, Ron. I know a lot of people in my house are bad people… but some aren’t.”

“You should know that Malfoy’s actually defending you,” Hermione crossed her arms.

“Me? What?”

“He’s sticking up for Heather?” Harry laughed.

“Well not defending, more like telling everyone you’re not a pureblood and that you don’t have ‘what it takes’. Ugh. Disgusting,” Hermione frowned.

Ron scoffed, “He just can’t take someone else getting credit for what he does. Bet he’s dying to expose himself as the true heir.”

Harry nodded in agreement.

“He isn’t the heir. Though I have no doubts that he wishes he was.”

“His father would be real proud,” Fred tisked, “Lucius Malfoy’s probably disappointed too.”

“Hey! All of you, off to beds or I’m telling Mum,” Percy came waddling through the snow. “I’m serious you two. I’ll stand outside your door until I hear you snoring – REAL snoring.”

Heather laughed, imagining Percy checking up on them in the middle of the night most days and finding they had left the tower to go exploring. Maybe one day she’d convince Harry to lend them the invisibility cloak.

They followed Percy inside and they walked Heather down to Slytherin house first. She waved them good night as Percy hurried them up the stairs. She whispered the password and stepped inside her common room.

She heard whispers and saw glances thrown her way, but for the most part it seemed like everyone was avoiding her, which she didn’t mind. Even Malfoy was sitting at a desk with his arms crossed and avoided her gaze as he talked with Crabbe and Goyle.

She headed to her dormitory and took her pajamas into one of the bathrooms. Pansy was talking with a few other girls and smiled at her as she walked in. It was weird how awkward it was when she acted nice.

“Hi Heather, you know I was thinking about your Christmas present earlier. What do you like?”

Heather wanted to laugh but thought at least she would get something out of Pansy being so nice and so decided to answer truthfully, “Potions, plants, and books… I guess.”

Pansy looked like she was biting back judgmental words but nodded, “Oh. Ok.”

The other girls smiled at Heather too, as she walked into one of the curtained areas. After changing she walked out and brushed her teeth and headed to bed. She thought there was nothing more annoying than watching Pansy follow people around to gain popularity. If rumors about Heather weren’t going around Hogwarts like crazy, Pansy would have likely elbowed her ribs or something instead of smiling at her.

She thought the following few days before the end of term would be hard to handle because of all the rumors, hissing, pointing, and glares from everyone… but it was actually because of Fred and George. They had found everyone’s behaviors towards Harry and her amusing and so they spent their free time marching in front of them mocking the situation.

“Careful! Careful! Hogwarts’ Dark Wizards are coming your way,” Fred yelled as they walked down the corridor.

“You can give Fred and I your sacrificial candy and we will make sure it makes it to them so that you may be spared,” George held out his hands but no one gave him anything but weird looks.

Harry laughed and was enjoying it, and so was Heather, but she couldn’t lose them to check on the potion. She had tried rushing out of classrooms earlier and then tried leaving later but Fred or George or sometimes both were waiting there, ready to announce to everyone that she was off to have a very important business meeting with the monster.

On the last day of term during potions, she thought of a good plan to go down and check on it. After Professor Snape’s lecture – she had made sure to raise her hand for all his questions even though she knew she wouldn’t be called on – she walked up to his desk where he sat grading their essays.

“Professor?”

He hummed deeply, not bothering to look up.

“May I leave to use the restroom?” Heather always found it embarrassing to have to announce to people when she needed to use the restroom and always made sure to never have to go during any class – unlike Harry and Ron who left often except for in potions – but she had to do what needed to be done.

“The potion you need to brew by the end of class will take nearly an hour,” he said, still not looking up from an essay.

“I’ll be fast,” Heather wasn’t sure how long it would take to walk from the dungeons to Myrtle’s bathroom so she would have to run. She’d be extra tired after practice later for sure.

“Go then,” he looked up and glanced in Neville’s direction, squinting.

Heather walked out of the class slowly, and as soon as the door shut, she sprinted down the dark corridor, up the stairs, down another corridor, up more stairs, up another set of stairs, and down another corridor before entering the restroom.

“Why so sweaty?” Myrtle was floating around and twirling, clearly on one of her better moods.

“Practice,” she lied.

She walked over to the stall and opened it up. She checked the fire which was still at perfect simmering height and then the potion. It smelled awful and looked suspicious at best. She couldn’t wait to actually learn to brew it during whatever year it was taught and wondered how many cringy mistakes she had made without knowing.

It would be a miracle if it even worked… or maybe a miracle if it didn’t considering how often things went wrong for them. She picked up the rod and started stirring counter clock-wise and prodded at the sediment, introducing it back into the murky liquid.

She hummed a song for a minute and switched directions, humming for another and prodding at the bottom again. She looked over the notes she had copied from the book before returning it and was pleased to see the potion was basically ready for consumption.

“Wait! I don’t have to drink this!” She hadn’t realized until now that technically only Harry, Ron, and Hermione needed the potion since she was already a Slytherin. She added the remaining lacewing cheerfully.

“Ew, why would you drink it,” Myrtle was peering over, “What’s it for?”

“It removes bad breath… for uh… Ron!”

Myrtle laughed, “I figured.”

Heather laughed with her, trying to seem normal and put the rod back on the tank. She hid the notes again and left the chamber. She sprinted all the way back and stood outside the classroom for a minute, letting the chilly air dry – or freeze – her sweat before entering.

Professor Snape looked suspiciously at her but she did her best to look innocent and looked down until she had to concentrate on the potion. She wasn’t the last one to finish but Malfoy still scoffed at her as she handed it in.

“Losing your touch, Potter? Or have you finally reached your skill limit?” Malfoy kicked a soggy silkleaf onto her foot.

“Well technically I finished it in forty minutes from when I started. How long did it take you?” Heather looked down at him where he sat and watched him avoid her eyes and sneer.

Pansy turned around from her conversation, “He finished it faster than that.”

It was good to know ‘loyalty’ was in her vocabulary at least. Heather walked away and sat down next to Hermione, kicking the silkleaf off her shoe.

“It’s ready,” she whispered to her.

“Knew it would be,” Hermione smiled and opened her book.

Term finally ended and students were rushing out of the castle as fast as possible. There was hardly anyone left, except for the Weasleys, Hermione, Malfoy and his goons, and Harry and herself. Heather thought it was eerie how quiet that left the castle, but at least no one was calling her an evil wizard behind her back.

“You’re staying too, Percy?” Heather thought Percy would want a break from his Prefect duties.

“And risk Fred and George blowing up Gryffindor tower?” He laughed nervously and walked away.

“Honestly, it was one time. And it was a bathroom stall,” George elbowed her.

“Yeah. Now who wants to play Exploding Snap,” Fred smiled at them.

“You’ll get in trouble,” Hermione looked around, “It’s on Filch’s list.”

“Not out here,” George started walking away.

“Up in the tower. Obviously,” Fred ran after him.

“Right. Because what’s safer than playing with explosives in a very tall tower?”

“They know what they’re doing,” Ron swallowed, looking uncertain. “Right? They know we’re up really high, right?”

#  **~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~**


	11. Toad and Pixies

#  **~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~**

Heather woke up sore from all the tossing and turning she’d done the night before. Her toad, who always sat on her nightstand, had been croaking non-stop all night. If everyone hadn’t been used to one of the other girl’s rats squealing every night, she was sure Pansy would have yelled at her.

“What was up with you last night?” Heather rubbed her eyes and took the toad out on her bed.

It sat still and looked up at her for a few seconds before croaking and trying to bite at the little mushrooms growing out of its mossy back. She was lucky term had ended for the holidays and she didn’t have school yet, but that didn’t mean she approved of staying up late trying to calm him down.

“I’m sorry but I don’t know how to help you yet… Harry ruined his potion some sort of way that I simply can’t figure out how.”

The toad stared at her and didn’t break eye contact or blink. She felt uneasy and rolled her eyes, sighing and placing him back in his home. She begrudgingly rolled out of bed and got ready for the day, brushing her teeth and semi combing her hair, and picked up his little tank.

“Fine,” she headed out of Slytherin house and made her way down to Professor Snape’s office.

She knocked a few times and waited nervously in the dark corridor. She looked around a few times, afraid she’d meet Salazar’s monster at any minute and get petrified like Colin and Mrs. Norris. The door creaked and swung open, revealing Professor Snape in his usual black attire.

“Potter,” he looked her over and sighed.

“Professor, how can I get all this moss and mushrooms off his back?” She held up the tank to show the very irritated expression of her toad.

Squinting, Professor Snape and the toad stared at each other for a while before he responded, “You won’t be learning any demossification potions until next year. Your toad will remain – like that – for a while.”

Heather pulled her toad in closer, “But – Sir, couldn’t you…?” her voice was a whisper.

Professor Snape arched his brow and stepped back, closing the door to his office, and left her once again on her own. Heather turned the tank around and held her toad up so that he could glare at her as she spoke.

“I tried I really did. You can’t be mad at me, you saw me try,” she frowned as it stared unrelenting. “I – fine!”

Heather turned and made her way to the great hall, where Hermione sat talking with Neville over some toast with jam. She sat down and sighed, drawing their attention towards her and her sulking companion.

“He’s upset with me even though Harry’s the one who got him all,” she motioned vaguely at his situation, “forest-y.”

Neville lowered his head and swallowed, “You should ask Professor Sprout about it. She might know what to do.”

“She wouldn’t know about potion stuff, would she?” Hermione poked at one of the mushrooms, “Though maybe just knowing about these would help.”

Heather sighed and thanked them for their advice. She left the great hall and headed outside towards Professor Sprout’s office. The air was icy and nipped at her nose and cheeks, making her rub her face every few feet. She lifted her sweater and hugged her toad’s tank to her body and patted her sweater down, hoping to somewhat shield him from the cold. She entered the greenhouse and looked around at all the Mandrakes nuzzled into crispy-looking soil with sprouting leaves growing out of knitted hats and littles ends of scarves poking out of the soil.

“Professor Sprout?” Heather looked around, hoping to spot her hidden between leafy branches. There was a rustle to her left and she turned, spotting two vibrantly red heads, “Fred? George?”

Fred and George stood up slowly and spotted her.

“Ah, Heather, we thought you were Sprout,” Fred stood up all the way and stuffed something in his back pocket

“You didn’t happen to see her on your way here, did you?”

“How could she if she’s calling for her?”

“Oh, right,” George straightened his magenta knitted hat and walked from around the corner of one of the tables. “Why have you gone all lumpy?”

Heather looked down at the large bump under her sweater and sighed. She took out her toad and set him down on the table, “He’s done being mossy.”

Fred inspected the toad and nodded, “I would be too.”

“I don’t suppose you two remember your demossification potions from third year, do you?”

George shook his head, “’Fraid not.”

She drummed the table with her fingers and sighed, “Alright. Thanks then.”

She stood up and noticed Fred give George a look. And not just any look. The same look she’d give Harry at times when they were up to something. Heather held her head higher and made a show of putting the toad back under her sweater, sighing and looking extra upset.

George was chewing on his lip looking at her through suspicious eyes when she reached the green house door and frowned sadly before opening it. The second her hand touched the handle, Fred sighed and she turned around excited.

“Yes?” Heather smiled and walked back.

“Don’t think we didn’t know what you were doing. Ginny does this to us all the time,” George took out a bag of herbs and poured it out. He had clearly snipped off various plants from around the green house and picked several nasty looking fruits.

Heather pressed a hand to her mouth with concern, “What is all of this?”

Fred picked up three purple berries, “This is the key to your toad’s happiness.”

“How,” she knew not to let her guard down around them, not after watching Ron make that mistake more than a few times.

They raised their eyebrows at her.

“Meet us passed Snape’s door tonight – “

“If you’re up for it.”

“’Round midnight.”

She narrowed her eyes at them and left without giving them an answer. She could wait for Professor Sprout… or she could find out what they were up to.

She decided not to tell Harry, Ron, or Hermione about what she was going to do later. She knew Harry and Ron would want to join – and if they were making potions those two were the last people she wanted around – and Hermione would either scold her for being out late or try to take more ingredients.

Come night time, they said good night to each other and she spent the remaining hours drawing her toad in her sketchbook, thinking that would be a wonderful way to commemorate the end to the little mushrooms growing out of his mossy back.

It chimed midnight and Heather waited for everyone to leave the common room to sneak out of the room. The corridor was eerily quiet and her nose immediately started running with how cold it was. She had her toad in one hand and her wand in the other.

Professor Snape’s office door was ajar and the green strip of light on the stone wall flickered slightly. His fire was on and she guessed he was busy grading essays. She slid her shoes off and held her breath as she quietly creeped passed his door. For a moment, as the strip of light illuminated her eyes, she looked in to see if she could spot anything, and she saw the end of his quill moving.

She made her way over to the end of the corridor and turned a corner. Fred and George were waiting for her, wands barely shining, and whispering. She stood in front of them and smiled. She could tell they didn’t think she would show.

“Last chance to turn back,” one of them whispered.

“Let’s go then,” Heather lit her wand and headed to the nearest potions room.

They stopped at the door and one of them pushed her aside and knelt. He raised the wand to the lock and leaned his face in, cupping his hand, and whispering something. There was a quiet click, and it opened.

They stepped through and shut the door. The candles in the room lit and she could now see Fred and George clearly. They put out their wands and chose the farthest table from the door. She noticed they had already come equipped with everything they needed.

“What’s that second cauldron for?”

Fred grinned, “It’s for your toad’s cure.”

She rolled her eyes, “Ok What’s the first cauldron for?”

“Your nose is too small to be asking questions like that,” George laughed, “Leave that business to Snape.”

“That smeller can sniff trouble from the opposite side of the castle,” Fred held his fingers up to his face to resemble a large nose.

George looked over and chuckled, “You get going, I’ll focus on this.”

Heather sighed, “Just don’t blow up the classroom. I can’t afford to get caught.” She stared George down, “NO FIREWORKS.”

“Have some faith,” Fred slid some berries over to her, “Cut those will you?”

She did as he said and watched Fred and George work – though every time she looked over at George’s potion, he blew air in her face – and was pleasantly surprised at how good they were at potion making. Maybe it was because they were just older, but she wouldn’t be surprised if they got good marks in potions.

“How often do you do this?”

Fred held up his hand and started counting up to seven, “Let’s say three times.”

She snorted, “Sure. Aren’t you scared of being caught? Or worse? The monster is still around.”

“The monster’s not looking for Purebloods. Though I don’t doubt Malfoy’s above sic-ing it on us. Besides, we’ve got a powerful Dark Wizard here with us.”

Heather rolled her eyes at that. About half an hour later both potions were done, and Heather was tasked with cleaning up. They waited for her and then headed out together. Professor Snape’s door was closed, which either meant he was out patrolling the corridors, or he had gone to bed.

Fred and George told her not to worry because they knew a shortcut – though she was sure they meant a secret passage – and they headed off. She carried her toad as well as the potion in her pocket and entered the Slytherin common room, looking around to make sure no one was in there.

She was alone. She sighed happily and entered, picking up her sketchbook from one of the cushions and tucked it under her arm. Before leaving they had told her not to try it on her toad until they were with her again the next day, so she placed it in her trunk and went to bed.

She found Fred and George with Hermione during breakfast and sat with them. Errol was on the table napping with its beak tucked under its wing and only opened his eyes once when her toad croaked very loudly.

“Morning.”

Hermione sighed, “Where did you get that potion?”

Fred and George widened their eyes and shook their heads, warning her not to tell.

“I-Someone made it for me,” she glanced at Fred and George who seemed content with her answer.

“You know you’d think Slytherins would be more careful about making potions after class considering your head of house is SNAPE,” Hermione shook her head.

“More reason they should!” George shook Errol awake, “Alright let’s get on with this.”

They stood and headed out the great hall and out towards the snowy hills on the grounds.

“Why do we need Errol? And why do we need to be outside! It’s so cold!” Heather and Hermione clung together as they walked, careful not to slip and fall.

“Well, if brewed wrong…” Fred looked at her and shrugged.

Heather mocked him and copied his shrug, “What’s that mean?”

“Let’s just say Errol might need to catch him,” George held Errol out.

“What he’ll float away? Why don’t we try it inside,” she looked at Hermione, but she was too busy keeping her mouth under her scarf.

“Because if he explodes, we don’t want to get in trouble – “

“No, no, no. If he’s going to explode – “

“He won’t.”

“We promise.”

She was not one bit convinced considering they were still walking outside, but she supposed she had to give it a try. It looked like they knew what they were doing, and she wondered how many times they had gotten their animals all mossy.

They stopped and she set her toad on a rock. He sat there still as she poured the potion over his back and stepped back with the others. They stood motionless as his mossy back and mushrooms started turning a weird shade of blue.

“Is that it?” Heather picked her toad up and examined him.

She realized the mushrooms on his back were shrinking, and the red on the caps were fading to white. After a certain size, the four little mushrooms fell off and bounced on the snow. Hermione took him and poked at the moss, seeing that it wasn’t coming off or changing at all.

“Well, I guess whoever gave you the potion didn’t do it correctly,” Hermione handed him back.

Fred and George nodded, pretending they had nothing to do with it. They walked back into the castle and shook of their shoes.

“Guess you’ll have to wait till next year,” Fred headed up the entrance hall stairs, followed by George.

“I guess I’ll go put him back,” Heather turned to leave but Hemione held her in place.

“So, remember the last ingredients we need?”

Heather nodded, remembering how lucky she was she didn’t have to drink any potion made from the parts of anyone else.

“Well, we need to get into your house so…” Hermione raised her brows, hinting heavily.

“Oh no, absolutely not. Where am I going to get that stuff? From who?”

“Just get some hair from any girl, and Crabbe and Goyle’s of course,” Hermione smiled.

“So simple,” Heather turned and walked up the entrance hall steps towards the other side of the castle.

Hermione continued behind her, “Just try. Alright?”

She sighed, “Fine. But you three owe me. This whole business is a waste of time.”

She walked down the dungeon stairs and headed into the Slytherin common room. It wasn’t lunch time yet so most of the students staying for the holidays were sitting around the fire. She spotted Crabbe and Goyle, who were luckily alone, and ran to her room to put her toad away. She came back out and slowly walked up to them, hearing what they were saying.

Goyle was waving his wand over a crumpled piece of paper, “Ruddy spell won’t work.”

“Try it like this,” Crabbe swung his wand in a loop, but nothing changed about the paper.

“What are you two doing?” Heather sat on the couch next to Goyle and crossed her legs.

“We’re trying to turn this into a biscuit, but it won’t work.”

The wheels were turning in her head, trying to piece together some sort of plan to pluck their hairs without them getting suspicious. She bit her lip and went with the first thing she could think of, “I know who can do that.”

Crabbe tilted his head, “Who.”

She swallowed before speaking, trying to keep herself from laughing, “Professor Lockhart.”

They looked at each other, confused but hopeful.

“Why don’t we go ask him to turn your extra parchments into cakes and pastries right now? I have something I need to do in his classroom anyways, so I don’t mind if you guys tag along.”

They smiled and nodded. The three of them left the common room and headed up to the Defense Against Dark Arts classrooms. They knocked on the classroom with his office inside and waited to hear a noise.

The door opened and Lockhart smiled down at them, “Ah, hello children! What can I do for you? Perhaps you heard I just restocked on my signed pictures?”

“Er, well Professor. We came to you because we absolutely need to get a spell to work and – “

“Say no more, say no more! Come right in,” he opened the door and let them in, pointing to a table where they could gather around.

“What is this spell you need to get working? Perhaps the one I used to defeat the southern hill trolls? Or the one that immediately blinds your opponents – which came quite handy during the battle of – “

It was taking everything she had not to roll her eyes at everything he said, “Actually Professor, could you help us turn these pieces of parchment into desserts?”

“Wait could we also learn those other things?” Goyle winked at Crabbe.

“A transfiguration spell? I suppose I see why you came to me, of course, even though it is FAR below my level of skill,” he sighed, running a hand through his shiny gold hair. “But if it helps you children to further your educational achievements – well how can I say no?” He took the parchments from Crabbe and Goyle and laid them out on the table, “Now pay close attention…”

Heather started backing away from them and looked around the room. She spotted a covered cage in the corner of the room. “There you are,” she whispered to herself.

She looked back at the other three, making sure they weren’t looking at her, and walked over to the cage. She removed the rag and saw the dozens of very bored Cornish pixies resting at the bottom of the cage. They looked up at her and sprang to their feet.

She looked back once more before sliding her wand out of her skirt and unlocking the cage door. At first the pixies looked confused, but within seconds they walked out and stretched their wings. She ran back towards Lockhart as more pixies started exiting and taking flight.

“And – oh – no that wasn’t it either,” Lockhart waved his wand again and looked up. “Do you hear something?”

She jumped at the chance and cut them off, “Over there! They’ve broke free!”

The Cornish pixies had started flying around the room, knocking things over and flinging quills towards Lockhart’s many paintings like darts. Lockhart, Crabbe, and Goyle jumped to their feet and started covering their heads.

“Hey there!” Lockhart swatted at a pixie that was pulling on his ear.

“Ahh!” Crabbe and Goyle were flinging their arms at a swarm near their heads.

Heather ran behind them. She reached out and plucked the hairs very quickly and ran out the door, closing it behind her. She leaned against the door and made sure the hairs were still in her hand. She wiped her forehead and ran to Gryffindor tower.

She knocked on the portrait and Ron opened it up, greeting her and letting her through. Harry and Hermione were playing Wizards chess, both too absorbed to look up as she sat next to them.

“Hermione, I need your help,” she nudged her arm.

“What is it?”

“What spell did you use for the Cornish pixies?”

She looked up at her, “Immobulus?”

Heather thanked her and ran out of the tower, back down to the classroom with Lockhart and Malfoy’s goons. She opened the door and slammed it shut before any pixies could escape. Lockhart was swatting at them from under his desk while Crabbe and Goyle were smacking them down.

“Immobulus!” Heather shouted, pointing her wand at the center of the mess.

The pixies froze mid-air. Crabbe and Goyle looked around and straightened their clothes. She realized she was still clutching their hairs and carefully stuffed them in her skirt pocket, pulling her sweater down further.

“Ah, thank you, Miss Potter,” Lockhart was on his feet already, dusting himself off. “That’s what you should have done, boys,” he wagged his finger and jerked his head, attempting to nonchalantly fix his hair.

“I-I think we should go,” she waved Crabbe and Goyle over.

They happily complied, wanting to get away from the angry looking pixies. Lockhart looked distraught but waved them goodbye with a twinkling smile.

“Thanks,” Crabbe patted her back roughly.

Heather laughed awkwardly and watched them leave. Now all she needed was a hair from one of the second-year girls. She turned the corner and headed down the opposite stairs Crabbe and Goyle had taken down.

She heard Fred and George laughed and decided she could afford a break before continuing on her mission. She followed the passageway to the right and peeked around a corner to see George being handed several objects and stuffing them into his jacket pockets.

She walked towards them stood behind George, looking into what appeared to be a broom closet with a desk inside and several open drawers. Fred was standing on a low wooden stool, reaching into the top drawers labeled “Extremely Confiscated”.

“Is this Mr. Filch’s office?”

Fred and George jumped, clearly thinking they would go unnoticed during their little heist.

“Merlin, Heather! Sneeze or something next time,” Fred handed a glittery box to George.

“If you had been the monster, we’d have been pickled eyes,” George stuffed the box into his pants.

“I could have been Filch. Or Mrs. Norris,” she crossed her arms at them.

Fred smiled, “He’s taking a bit of a nap.”

George laughed and shook one of his pockets. She heard a light swishing sound and thought back to the potion they had made. She sighed and walked away, leaving them to their business and continuing with her own.

She reached the common room and headed to second year girl’s dormitories. She started with her own room and examined her dormmate’s pillows, looking for any hair strands. Next, she headed to the next chamber and knocked. No one answered so she carefully opened the door and peered in, seeing no one, and continued searching for stray hairs.

After two more rooms she found a short brown hair and took it, sneaking back out, and heading to her own room. She dug in her trunk and took out a small glass container to hold all the hairs, making sure to be able to distinguish Crabbe and Goyle’s from whosever hair she had just gotten.

During lunch she gave Hermione the jar and reminded her of their deal.

“Perfect, now we just need to find the right time to do it,” Hermione grinned.

“Great.”

“Can’t wait.”

Ron and Harry stared disgustedly at the jar of hairs, putting down their forks and pushing their plates away.

“Did you fix your toad?” Harry finished his glass of pumpkin juice.

“No. But at least he’ll stop trying to bite the mushrooms I think.”

“I promise I’ll try to fix him, though I wasn’t the one who dunked him – “

“If you had done it correctly – “

“Oh, don’t start this again,” Ron rolled his eyes.

“I have some presents to finish, so I will see you all later,” Hermione got up and left.

“Oh, that reminds me!” Heather followed her lead and said goodbye.

She had decided to draw everyone something for Christmas and was only missing Hagrid now. She grabbed her sketchbook and headed out to Hagrid’s hut. The air was less cold than it had been in the morning, but she still rushed down to get warm.

She knocked on his door and waited, jumping from foot to foot to keep warm. She could hear Fang barking madly from inside and stepped back as the door opened. Hagrid was wearing an old apron and the smell of pie wafted out with the heat.

“Heather! Come in,” he held the door open for her.

“Thank you, Hagrid. I was wondering if I could sketch Fang?”

Fang jumped up and started licking her cheeks as she attempted to sit down. He leaned on her even more and pushed her off her seat, knocking her to the ground.

“Fang! Well, be my guest but as yeh can see, he is no good at staying too still. Come ‘ere yeh big goof,” Hagrid sat him down on his dog bed. “Try that.”

Heather wiped her cheek clean and opened her book to a blank page, “That’s perfect,” she laughed.

She drew three different sketches while talking to Hagrid about his pumpkins. At some point he had served her some tea and Fang, who had fallen asleep, had woken back up and started scratching at the back door.

“Better let ‘im out,” Hagrid stood and opened the door.

Heather closed her book and picked up her teacup, walking it over to the sink to rinse it out. She reached for the hot water nob when she noticed a small trail of about six spiders walking across the windowsill towards a little hole between the wood and glass.

She screamed and dropped the cup in the sink, accidently chipping it. She stepped back and pressed a hand to her mouth, “Hagrid! I’m so sorry. I dropped you cup – “

“Oh, don’t worry ‘bout it,” he smiled. “Wuh happened?” He walked over and picked the teacup up, examining the little chip on the handle.

“Those spiders spooked me. Sorry,” she laughed.

Hagrid bent down and narrowed his eyes, “Hmm.”

Heather noticed he furrowed his brows and his smile faded slowly.

He glanced at her again and smiled, “Getting’ cold outside. I think yeh best be heading back for dinner.” He cupped his hands and whispered, “Heard dessert tuhday’s cinnamon baked apples.”

“Yum,” Heather picked up her things and left, thanking him one last time for letting her draw Fang.

She exited the house and was pleasantly greeted by Fang who was ready to exit the cold. She patted his head and left back towards the castle. Dinner was nice, though Draco, Harry, and Ron glared at each other almost the whole time due to sharing the same table, but Hagrid was right and the cinnamon baked apples kept everyone distracted.

That night she took her watercolors and painted her favorite sketch and tore it out of the book. Now all her presents were complete. A drawing of Hedwig for Harry, Scabbers for Ron, and all three of the animals together for Hermione since she didn’t have one.

She rolled them up and tied them with twine that she had dipped in different colors. She gathered them up and placed them carefully in her trunk where they would wait to be handed out Christmas morning.

#  **~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~**


	12. Polyjuice and Pastries

#  **~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~**

The grounds were covered in several feet of pristine snow, disturbed only by the occasional animal as they ventured out into the grounds for food. Heather watched the sun rise as she ate breakfast in the great hall, clutching her presents to her body, ready to run to Gryffindor tower to celebrate with her friends.

Neville walked in and she handed him a small drawing of a toad, nodding her welcome and heading up the many stairs. She knocked on the Portrait three times and greeted Fred and George, handing them their drawings – it was them as ferrets – and walked in.

Hermione was in the common room, carrying her presents in her hands and motioned for her to follow. They entered the boy dormitories and knocked on Harry and Ron’s chamber door. They heard Harry yell mumble something and decided to open the door anyways.

“We’re coming in! Wake up!” Hermione opened the door fully and stepped in, followed by Heather.

“Yay! Happy holidays!” Heather hugged Ron and Harry – who were sitting up but still too tired to function – and shoved her presents into their hands.

“Oh! It’s Christmas!” Ron ripped Hermione’s present open and thanked her.

“Open mine, Ron,” she took the colored twine from him and sat opposite Hermione on Harry’s bed.

Everyone unfolded the drawings and gasped.

“Wow, you’re drawing don’t look too bad anymore,” Harry laughed, receiving a well-deserved punch from her.

“Thanks for ignoring his little bald spot there,” Ron poked Scabbers on his head, “But he’s actually missing a toe.”

“Hmm, well next time give me him to study so I can be more accurate.”

“Thank you, Heather! I should get an animal too, like a toad like you and Neville,” Hermione rolled up her drawing and put it aside.

“Oh no, don’t bring back toads. I do NOT want to be woken up in a year because toads are cool again and Seamus and Dean decided to get some,” Ron walked to his trunk and took out his gifts. “Mine next, then.”

Harry received a Chudley Cannons book all about their techniques and training. Ron gave Hermione his extra parchments he was sure he wasn’t going to need – Hermione disapproved but accepted it since she had used up more than she was expecting.

Heather opened her gift and smiled, “How cute! Ron, did you make this yourself?”

He nodded, “I thought your toad could use a friend, though Percy helped me charm it and Neville taught me how to fold it… or maybe that’s the one he folded? I don’t quite remember.”

Heather took the little origami toad and yelped when it jumped from her hand. Harry caught it and held it closed inside his book. She opened Hermione’s present with Harry and beamed happily when she saw it was a brand-new quill. Harry’s was an eagle feather and hers was a raven one.

They opened the rest of the presents. This time Hermione had also received a Weasley sweater with them except she had a note that had more than just ‘Merry Christmas’.

“Hmm,” Hermione looked at them with a smile, “Mrs. Weasley says if I could help Percy keep an eye on you three.”

“Babysitting between heists and people impersonations?”

Hermione frowned at Heather and rolled her eyes. Although it had been a while they had acted cold to each other, everyone knew there was still something unspoken in the air between them. Ron coughed and turned to Hagrid’s gift. Everyone received a very tasty-looking treacle tart – hard as stone but easy to soften over a fire – and a note that wished them all a merry day.

“What’s that?” Heather looked around for the source of the pecking and watched as Harry unlatched his window to let Hedwig inside. “She’s got something from the Dursleys, doesn’t she?”

Harry ripped the envelope open and held out his hand. A single toothpick tumbled out along with a double folded note. Heather sighed and took the note, ready to read what was surely anything but something pleasant.

“‘Heather, find out if you and Harry can stay there for the summer.’”

Harry laughed, “Do they think we WANT to go back there?”

Heather threw the note in the trash pile and turned to Hedwig, “Hedwig, can you take this to Hagrid? Thanks.” She turned to Harry, “Alright, where’s your presents to us?”

Harry shrugged, “I tried making stuff but nothing was working so – ”

“So the punishment commences,” Heather grabbed Harry before he could run and toppled over him, causing them both to fall to the floor.

Harry laughed as Heather gained leverage and pinned him face down on the floor with her body.

“What’s going on?” Hermione climbed over Harry’s bed to watch them as they wrestled with each other.

“When Harry – hey! – When we don’t give each other presents we have to wrestle the other one down!”

Ron screamed and joined on the pile, flinging himself on top of Heather to help pin him down. Heather screamed and laughed as Harry tried wiggling as hard as he could.

“Wait! I just remembered I do have something!” Harry pointed at his trunk, “I’ll get it.”

Ron got off and Harry pushed Heather away. He stood up, dusted himself off, and made a run for it. Hermione jumped on the bed and pointed her wand, attempting to cast Imobulus at Harry, but he had grabbed his wand from the floor and used Expelliarmus.

Hermione’s wand shot out of her hand and hit Ron square in the face. He stumbled back and looked to Heather for her to do something. She laughed and pulled out her wand, ducking behind on of the posts, saving herself from being disarmed.

“Ha ha!” She jumped back out and faced her brother, “Expelliarmus!”

Harry’s wand went flying but he was faster than Hermione, running to catch it before it hit the ground. “Caught it!”

Just then the door flew open and Percy was standing there with his hands on his hips looking at the four of them. Hermione was on Harry’s bed with her shoes on, Ron was holding two wands out – one broken – and Heather was kneeling over a trunk, arm extended and wand pointed as well.

“I can’t believe – You wait till Mum – Four points from Gryffindor! One for each of you for dueling another student, and another because Hermione is in the boy’s dormitories!” He turned to Heather who was trying to slink back hoping he hadn’t noticed her. “And Three points from Slytherin! For dueling, for being in the boy’s dormitory, and for being in Gryffindor Tower!”

Heather nodded and stood up straight. The punishment was very logical and fair, not even Harry could complain.

“Very disappointed in you four. Now out, out of Gryffindor tower! And Ron, put on some proper clothes! You too Harry,” Percy stepped aside and pointed.

Heather and Hermione picked up their presents and marched down the stairs and out of Gryffindor tower with Percy at their heels. Hermione went back inside to put her presents away and Heather left to put hers in her trunk.

When she got to her chamber, she noticed there was a note from Pansy, but she was still in too high of spirits to bother reading it. She tossed it in the trunk as well, put on her new sweater, and went to meet back up with her friends. They found Fred and George along the way and decided to all eat lunch together followed by a game of snowball fight.

Heather asked about Percy since last year he joined in the snowball fight, but all Fred and George did was shake their heads and say he was busy.

“Prefect Percy – ”

“More like Pinhead Percy.”

It wasn’t until dinner that Heather saw just how upset Fred and George were by Percy’s lack of interest in them. They bewitched his Prefect badge to say ‘Pinhead’ causing most everyone he talked with to chuckle or giggle at it.

She enjoyed the Christmas dinner while looking around at all the festive decorations. There were strands of tinsel floating above their heads, large snow-covered trees with red and green baubles hanging off the ends of branches, and mistletoe and holly vines strewn across the ceiling.

She was even surprised how well Harry was ignoring Draco. Him, Goyle, and Crabbe were laughing at the Weasley sweaters but no one paid any attention to them, not when there were holiday cakes and pies appearing at the table.

After dinner they headed up to Myrtle’s bathroom and stood around the cauldron. Hermione handed Heather three cups and she poured a bit into each, handing them out. They placed Crabbe, Goyle, and the girl’s hair in the cups and watched the potion turn from a syrupy mud color to a sickly brown, tan, and yellow one as it hissed like an angry cat.

“Hermione? What if Crabbe and Goyle decide to find Malfoy? They’ll be double of them,” Heather noticed Hermione looking just as perplexed.

“I know, I haven’t figured it all out yet. I was thinking you could do what you did to get the hairs and trick them into following you for an hour while we question Malfoy – ”

Harry scoffed, “Hermione things could go horribly wrong if – ”

“I have a plan.”

Everyone turned to Ron.

“Fred and George… they made a potion that knocked Filch out for a whole hour. We could make it and – ”

“No need,” Heather cut him off, “They have some left over.”

“Great, then Ron you go get it and Harry you get some pastries. Meet back here in ten minutes,” Hermione rushed them out.

Within minutes they were back and dripping drops onto the two pastries and Ron and Harry were out again. After twenty minutes this time they came back with extra shoes and robes to wear for when they were Crabbe and Goyle’s size.

“Take these too,” Hermione handed them extra uniforms that looked to be the right size and kept one for herself saying, “Just in case,” since she knew Heather wasn’t sure whose hair she grabbed.

The three of them stepped into separate stalls with their cups of yellow goo and locked the door. Heather stood by the sinks, waiting for them to finish. After three minutes she walked closer to Harry’s stall and knocked.

“You ok, Harry?”

The stall opened and Goyle stepped out, handing Heather his glasses, “Yeah. You two ok?”

Ron opened his stall, except it was Crabbe. He straightened his robes and made a disgusted face, “I hate this.”

Heather followed them to the mirrors as they poked and prodded their faces. She turned back to the last stall and waited for Hermione, but she didn’t come out.

“Hermione? You ok?”

Crabbe walked over and banged on her stall, “Hurry up – ”

“You three go,” Hermione yelled.

The three of them looked at each other, confused. She didn’t recognize the voice at all. Crabbe shrugged and walked towards the door, but Goyle knocked again.

“You sure?”

“Yes!”

Following Hermione’s instructions, the three of them headed down to the dungeons, Heather giving them pointers the whole way down. Crabbe and Goyle had a hard time going down the stairs and took extra-long, making sure not to trip over their large feet.

They made it down and started walking towards the Slytherin common room when they bumped into someone, causing Crabbe – who was actually Ron – to scream in shock.

“Hey! Careful there. You’re lucky it’s just me,” Percy stepped under the torchlight by the stairs. “Hurry to your common room if you don’t want to be facing any Salazar monster.”

“Wh-what are you doing down here?” Crabbe looked as bewildered as normal.

“That’s Prefect business,” Percy looked down at Heather sternly, “Which by the way, if you see Fred and George tomorrow, tell them I’m writing to Mum immediately.”

Goyle snickered and Percy looked up at him intensely.

“Inside, before I dock more points from Slytherin,” Percy turned and marched up the stairs.

“Potter.”

Goyle and Heather jumped and turned around. It was Draco walking up to them now, looking in the direction Percy just went.

“Those Weasleys keep snooping around down here. It’s bad enough just having Peter roaming the corridors, but Greg and Frank keep setting traps – ”

“It’s Percy, Fred, and George,” Crabbe cut him off.

Malfoy stared him down, “Does it matter? They think they’re going to catch the heir and suddenly their family’ll somehow not be the laughingstock of the whole wizarding world!” he laughed.

Heather stepped in front of Crabbe and Goyle, stopping them from lunging at Malfoy. This was going to be a VERY dangerous mission. Malfoy turned and led them to the Slytherin door.

“Goyle, open it,” he leaned against the opposite wall.

Goyle stepped forward and looked around the wall. Heather almost smacked her head with her hand. She had completely forgotten their door looked like just another part of the wall!

“Uh, I’ll do it!” She stepped forward and walked to the brick with a tiny chip in it and whispered the password.

The door opened and Malfoy looked at Goyle confused.

“Too much sugar,” Goyle responded.

Malfoy shrugged and walked in followed by the three of them. Heather watched Crabbe and Goyle faces, trying to decipher what Ron and Harry were thinking as they looked around the room. From what she could tell, they looked a bit impressed and a lot more appalled at all the fancy details.

“Potter, I’ve got something to show you,” Malfoy snapped his fingers and motioned for the nearest desk. He slid a newspaper clipping out of his robe and tossed it to Heather. “I KNOW you two will have a laugh at that.”

“‘Head of Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office, Arthur Weasley, has been fined fifty Galleons as of this morning, for the major infraction of bewitching a Muggle car’,” Heather gulped and glanced up at Crabbe, who forced a stiff laugh. She continued, “‘Mr. Lucius Malfoy, newly appointed governor of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy, has stated that more must be done than a mere fine. Mr. Malfoy has asked for Mr. Weasley’s resignation or immediate termination.’”

Malfoy laughed, “If you keep reading, Father even mentions completely scrapping the Muggle Protection Act on account of him being unfit to draw up our laws.”

Heather handed it back, “I didn’t know your father was a Hogwarts governor?”

“What’s that?” Goyle asked, looking as lost as always.

Malfoy took the clipping, “Means Dumbledore works for him now – ” Crabbe gasped – “He applied for the position second term last year after your brother made it on the Quidditch team.”

“But why would that matter?”

Malfoy glared at Goyle, “You lost your mind? Why’s it matter? Dumbledore can’t just go bending any rule he pleases for famous Harry Potter! Honestly,” Malfoy looked at Crabbe too, “What’s the matter with you two.”

“I think they ate too much,” Heather cut in quickly.

Malfoy shook his head and sighed, “Well, you better go warn you stupid brother and his dumb friends that their precious Headmaster is going to be sacked soon. Any more attacks and my Father will shut the school down. He always said Dumbledore was the worst Headmaster in Hogwarts history…” He folded up the clipping and stuffed it in his robe, “He should be appointed Headmaster. He wouldn’t be letting any worthless Muggle-borns like Granger or Creevey in here.”

Heather looked at Crabbe and Goyle, fearing the worst. To her surprise, they seemed to be holding themselves together at his words.

“Why so quiet, Potter. You normally have something to say about your ‘friends’,” Malfoy looked at her with narrowed eyes. “Don’t tell me you’re finally agreeing with me.”

She shook her head, “I agree the school should be shut down, but I don’t see a problem with Muggle-borns. The only reason Salazar didn’t want them was because of witches and wizards being hunted down back then. Muggles think we’re fairy tales now.”

“‘Uh, Potter! Potter! Harry Potter please oh please can I have a picture?’” He pretended to click an invisible camera, “‘I’ll do anything for your autograph! I’ll kiss your shoes and lick the ground you stand on!’” Malfoy finished his impression of Colin Creevey and turned back to her, “You really want that around our school?”

Heather shook her head at Malfoy but looked down at Crabbe and Goyle’s clenched fists. She swallowed, “It is annoying. Especially all the Muggle-borns thinking Harry is the heir of Slytherin when he’s not. Any clues as to who it is yet?”

Malfoy shook his head, “I want to find out who it is, but they won’t tell me! And Father refuses to share any information about who it was last time, though I’m surprised he even knows since it was before he was born.”

Crabbe and Goyled looked astonished to find out Heather had been right all along. It wasn’t Malfoy and it wasn’t his father that opened it last time either. She smiled slightly, delighted that she would be able to rub it on all their faces. They should have trusted her.

“I don’t understand why he doesn’t want me getting involved. You’re getting involved with it, Potter,” there was a hint of jealousy in his voice.

“By accident,” Goyle said, quickly realizing he shouldn’t have.

Malfoy nodded, “He doesn’t want me involved because of all the raids on our manor. Though now that Weasley’s getting sacked I’m sure he’ll change his mind,” he laughed. “Anyways, – don’t tell your friends, Potter – but it wasn’t like he was ever going to find our chamber under the drawing room – ”

“Ho!” Crabbe clapped his hands to his mouth.

Heather kept her face as composed as possible, trying not to look at Crabbe and Goyle in horror as their faces started turning into Ron and Harry’s. They realized what was happening and stood up suddenly, causing Malfoy to jump back.

“Throwing up!” Crabbe yelled and ran out of the common room.

Goyle followed, yelling “Stomach!” a little higher pitched than normal.

Heather stayed in her seat, trying to look as bewildered as Malfoy was. He turned to her and shook his head, mumbling something about them being idiots for not listening to him.

He looked at her very seriously suddenly, “Potter, if I find out you told the Weasleys or ANYONE about my Father’s secret chamber…” he looked at her with an intensity she had never seen in him before. “You’ll regret it.” He strode off after his friends.

Heather felt herself sweating in her seat. She really hoped Ron nor Harry would tell anyone about the chamber just yet or things would get VERY difficult for herself as a Slytherin and Malfoy’s classmate. “Not to mention the potions lessons!” she whispered, looking around.

It was nearing midnight and Malfoy wasn’t back so she decided to put on her pajamas and head to bed. She took out her sketchbook and flipped to page with a bunch of messed up sketches she crossed out. She started writing out a list of things to do.

“First,” she said out loud to her toad since she was the only one in her chamber. “The chamber was opened BEFORE Mr. Malfoy was born… and whoever the pureblood is, they don’t want to tell Malfoy even though he would gladly accept them… or,” she frowned, “they don’t like him even though he is a pureblood.” That would explain why no purebloods he has asked have admitted it to him immediately. “Unless they’re also hiding their pureblood status!”

She turned to her toad only to have him give a minor croak of acknowledgment. Heather finished writing out her thoughts and put her sketchbook away. She needed to show Hermione her notes as soon as possible and she also needed Fred and George’s help to sneak into the library room full of old books.

The following morning heather woke with a start. Her chamber door was rattling like crazy and only stopped when she opened it. She noticed all the other doors on her corridor were rattling too. She took her sweater and skirt into the bathroom and changed quickly, throwing her pajamas onto her bed and following two other girls out into the common room.

Professor Snape was standing by the green fire with his arms crossed glaring at students as they gathered around. He was looking angry, more than normal, and refused to answer any questions until every Slytherin still at Hogwarts was standing before him.

She stood by Malfoy and leaned closer, asking what was going on.

“Apparently Crabbe and Goyle ate some random pastries they found laced with a minor sleeping draught,” he laughed quietly. “When they ran out they stumbled into one of Filch’s closets – ” he shook his head, trying hard not to laugh too loud. “And locked themselves in!”

Heather snickered, unable to believe what they had concluded must have happened to them.

“Professor Snape says it must have hardly had an effect on them since they only passed out for a minute. Guess they would have needed three or four more to have it work,” he finished, biting the inside of his cheek.

She snorted at the thought of Fred and George’s faces when she tells them what Malfoy just said.

“What’s so amusing, Potter?”

Heather turned suddenly to see Professor Snape glowering at her. Her cheeks flushed red and she shook her head, “Nothing, Sir.”

He turned back and looked at the few older students, watching them shift uncomfortably in their spots. Something told her she was about to find out the consequences of their actions from last night and they were never good when it involved Professor Snape.

“Last night two of your housemates were drugged,” he looked everyone in the eyes before continuing. “Professor McGonagall thinks it was – just – a prank. However…” he met Heather’s eyes, “I fail to see the humor in it.” He pulled his arms behind his back and started pacing, “It is unclear if it was meant for them. And anyone with any information who does not come forward now… will get the same punishment as whoever it is that STOLE those ingredients from me and brewed it,” he looked furious.

He stopped and looked everyone in the eyes again. Heather turned to Malfoy, seeing he was still finding it all incredibly amusing. She frowned at him and he looked over at her, shrugging.

He leaned in, “Bet it was the heir.”

He hushed up as Professor Snape dismissed the students. Malfoy pulled Heather aside away from Professor Snape, who was still standing by the fire.

“Maybe that’s how he lures the monster out and Crabbe and Goyle were dumb enough to eat it. Genius really, knocking students out and letting the monster sniff them out to petrify. Maybe it’s just picky on who it eats.”

Heather nodded, not wanting to tell Malfoy how insane his theory sounded. Malfoy let go of her arm and walked back into the boy’s dormitories. She chanced a glance at Professor Snape and saw him spin around and march out of the common room with his cloak flowing behind him like usual.

She wondered if Fred and George were awake at this time yet, though she doubted it seeing as it was two hours before breakfast would be served. She made her way up to Gryffindor tower with her sketchbook anyway and was surprised to find Percy exiting the portrait hole.

“Percy!” Heather ran up the stairs the rest of the way.

He frowned, “What are you doing out so early? Ron and Harry – ”

She shook her head, “Professor Snape woke all the Slytherins up half an hour ago. Also, I was wondering if Fred and George were up?”

He frowned again, “What do you want with Fred and George?”

Heather frowned back, “Why is it a problem that I want to hang out with them?”

Percy scoffed, “I’ll get them for you but if I find out the three of you are up to something like removing another toilet seat or running around restricted areas – I’ll really tell on them.”

“I never removed any toilet seats with them. And would you be telling Harry all this – ”

His eyes widened, “Yes! Especially him.”

He whispered the password and walked back in. Almost immediately he walked back out with Fred and George fully dressed. They waved at Heather as Percy descended the stairs, looking back at them suspiciously a few times before turning a corner and walking out of sight.

“Heather, you almost blew our covers!” Fred shook his head, feigning disappointment.

“We thought he was halfway down the stairs when he came back in,” George looked behind Heather quickly.

“Did you need something?”

“Yes actually.”

“What?”

She smiled, “Partners in crime.”

#  **~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~**


	13. Hunting for Clues

#  **~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~**

The corridor was clear and quiet as the sun started rising an hour before breakfast. Heather Fred and George were huddled in the middle talking in hushed voices, fearing the corridors could carry even whispers throughout the castle. Heather told them about the room she wanted to get into.

“So, a break in you say…” Fred was rubbing his hands with excitement.

“You know, it’s embarrassing, really, how well we could have predicted whatever rule breaking you’d want to do would involve books and the library,” George sighed. “What can we expect from a know-it-all like you.”

“Are you two going to help me or not?” Heather stood up straight and crossed her arms, “I mean if you even CAN pull it off, anyways.”

“Woah there little snake,” Fred laughed, “No need to convince us – ”

“We’d do it for the fun of it,” George nodded at his brother.

Fred reached behind his back and took out an old parchment from his pocket. He walked over to a bench and knelt, unfolded it and pressing it flat with his hands. “We’ll use this.”

“What, are we going to write notes?” Heather scoffed, “‘Oh please Madam Pince, turn the other way’?”

“You underestimate us so easily,” George laughed and tapped the parchment, muttering something under his breath.

Drops of ink started appearing on it, swirling and forming lines and shapes until she could see what looked to be a floor plan.

“A map?” she turned to watch Fred and George’s matching smiles. “But how – ”

“Take a look again.”

She knelt down and saw six footprints huddled around a spot with the names ‘Heather’, ‘Fred’, and ‘George’ hovering above. She stood up and walked a little ways away, watching her footsteps on the map separate from Fred and George’s.

Her mouth flew open, “That’s perfect!”

“And! We can use the secret passageways into the library by following the map,” Fred flipped several added parchment pieces until the map looked like the ground floor where the library, entrance hall, and great hall were.

They led her down several levels and a long corridor until they reached a small decoration table in the middle of a passageway. George knelt down and pushed the table aside, pulling out a small stick that had been shaved completely flat on two sides. He stuck it in a little hole in the wall and pushed it to the side, dislodging a concealed stone doorway.

“We think it was for house elves before they were allowed to perform any kind of magic indoors.”

Fred crawled in first, followed by Heather and George last, who moved the table back in place and shut the door with a spell. They cast a low Lumos and made their way straight for several minutes until the low ceiling rose high enough to allow Heather to stand.

“Alright,” Fred turned to Heather, “It’s a slide all the way down and then a brisk walk to the library’s hidden door.”

Heather nodded, though a sudden thought made her breath catch in her throat. “You guys don’t think… that the monster…”

Fred made a little teetering motion with his hand, “I’ll go down first. Try not to scream.” He sat down and pushed forward to the edge. He looked up and gave a thumbs up before releasing his hold on the walls and sliding down into the darkness.

Heather watched the small light fade and disappear out of sight. She sat down next and turned to George who crouched down with her and nodded. She turned back and closed her eyes. Maybe the drop felt like the fall to the Devil’s Snare plant. Quick and easy.

“Here I go,” Heather pulled her hands in and immediately felt herself get pulled down.

She clutched her wand and sketchbook to her chest and felt herself get carried down, faster and faster, turning slightly in a wide spiral. She breathed out and relaxed, telling herself she would feel the flat ground soon enough.

“AHHH!” the stone bellow her vanished and she went to reach for anything but there was nothing there. Only air until she finally felt herself land on something soft but very dusty.

She sat up, coughing, and Fred pulled her up quickly before George dropped onto the pile of red and golden pillows, blankets, and sheets. They dusted off and continued walked, apologizing for forgetting there was a small drop, saying they stopped using this way after they discovered a better way into the kitchens.

They slowed and started pressing on the wall until something gave way. Fred whispered “Alohomora” and unlocked the tiny door. They stepped into a room with tall shelves of tattered books. They made their way to the center of the room where she remembered stitching books back together not too long ago at the long tables.

They split up, Fred and George doing their own thing while Heather scanned the shelves for old school records and newspaper clippings. She blew dust out of the way and rubbed her sweater sleeve on some spines. She pulled out a strange looking hard cover book and dropped it on a table.

She opened the book and saw it was just bundles of newspapers stacked inside. She pulled one out and read the date, “Too early.” She placed the book back and grabbed the one before it. She set it down and flipped through a few issues before coming into the years she thought it would be.

The pictures looked even more black and white – if that could be possible – with less shades of greys. She read headline after headline until she stopped at one that read ‘Death at Hogwarts!’ with a slightly old-looking wizard with grey hair and a grey beard holding up his hand at a blinding flash of light form a camera.

She pulled the paper out and read through the article carefully, “A fourth year Ravenclaw was murdered by what is believed to be the Beast of Salazar… A classic case of myth turned nightmare sends parents demanding for the permanent closure of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and the formal apology of Headmaster Armando Dippet – ” She flipped the paper closed and looked at the date of the paper, “1943…”

“Who’s the old guy?” George sat down next to her, pointing at the old man moving away from the flash on the cover.

“The headmaster before Professor Dumbledore, I guess.”

“Does it say what heir opened it?” Fred joined them.

Heather opened the article back up and skimmed the rest of the article, “No. Just that the student was expelled and that the teachers refuse to give out a name, claiming ‘a further investigation must be conducted’.”

“Well, I’m sure whoever did it is rotting away in Azkaban,” George propped his feet on the table.

Heather pushed his feet back down, “What if the same person has escaped Azkaban and came back to finish the job?”

“No one has EVER escaped Azkaban,” Fred paused, “That only leaves a brand-new heir to blame for everything… And I hope they catch him quick.”

She took out her sketchbook and started writing down all the information. The theory she was left with was that whoever it was, was a pureblood who disliked Malfoy with a relative still in Azkaban – or who had been previously expelled from Hogwarts at the very least.

“I think I’ve got everything. Let’s leave,” Heather shut the book and placed it back in its spot.

“Finally!”

“Worst break-in EVER,” George stood and opened the tiny door again.

Heather followed them to the door but stopped, turning to look at the large door that had caught her attention before. She slowly turned and walked over, turning the knob and pulling. It wouldn’t budge from its place. She turned the knob over and over but the door was firmly jammed.

She sighed and left the room, closing the tiny door behind her. Instead of going back the way they came, they turned into another small passageway meant for house elves and headed straight until they came out of a cabinet into the Hogwarts kitchens.

“Looks like it’s almost breakfast time,” Fred took a toast slice and headed for a large door, making sure not to bump into any of the elves working diligently at preparing the porridge.

They followed him out.

George pointed at a door across the passage, “That’s the Hufflepuff door.”

Heather didn’t see what barrel he pointed to but remembered hearing about a Gryffindor getting drenched in vinegar after tapping the wrong one. She wondered if it was Fred or George… or maybe their friend Lee?

She entered the great hall and spotted Harry and Ron immediately. She rushed to her spot beside Harry and slammed the sketchbook on the table, leaning in with a hushed voice, “I did some digging and – Where’s Hermione?”

Harry shook his head, “Something happened with her Polyjuice potion… She’s er.. she’s – ”

“Dealing with some FELINE problems.”

“Oh no! Did I give her cat hair instead? I didn’t mean to!” her excitement was spent and replaced with deep guilt and regret. She should have taken a hair from a left behind brush in the bathrooms, not the beds. She had completely overlooked the fact that some girls had cats sleeping with them since none of her dormmates had any very furry animals.

“Must of. Madam Pomfrey says it’ll take weeks for all the hair and whiskers to disappear.”

“Months,” Harry corrected him but Ron shook his head at him.

Heather dropped her face to the table and sobbed, “I feel so horrible!”

Ron put a concerned hand on her shoulder, “Let’s just go see her and you can tell us about what you found.”

She nodded and followed them to the hospital wing, dreading what Hermione would say. She already felt like their friendship was suspended by a thin string at times. Harry and Ron reassured her that Hermione would understand but her anxiety never ceased.

They made it to the hospital wing and knocked. Madam Pomfrey let them in and directed them to Hermione’s bed where she sat eating breakfast.

Heather bit her tongue as she came closer. Hermione had long triangle ears and a tail poking out from under the sheets. Her fur was black with orange patches – suddenly reminding her of Millicent Bulstrode’s long-haired cat that liked to swipe at everyone’s feet.

Hermione looked up and glared, turning her cat ears to look particularly angry, “Well.”

Heather swallowed and sat on the bed, “Hermione, I’m so sorry – ”

“You did this on purpose!”

Heather’s mouth flew open. She looked to Harry and Ron but they both shook their heads, refusing to get involved.

“I-I didn’t do this on purpose!”

“Fine! Not on purpose but you were completely irresponsible when you took the hair!”

She swallowed, knowing she should have taken better care of who she was taking from. “I’m really sorry! It was an accident,” she felt tears forming.

Hermione shook her head, “No you’re not. You don’t care.”

“Why aren’t you accepting my apology? Why would you think I – ”

“Because you haven’t cared all year long about me!” Heather was about to cut her off, but Hermione continued quickly, sniffling, “I thought we were best friends but you didn’t even think how awful it would have been if you three had gotten expelled! And you didn’t even tell me you were going to join the Slytherin Quidditch team.”

Heather looked down at her hands, unable to come up with anything to say yet.

“Neither of us were very interested in Quidditch and we studied all the time together… But now you’re always busy with Quidditch and the three of you are always talking about it – and – and you’re always running off trying to catch Malfoy studying with Snape so you can study with him too…”

“I just want to be better at potions,” Heather wiped the tears running down her cheek. “I didn’t mean to ditch you.”

“It’s not that. I just… thought you would tell me you wanted to try out… Am I even still your best friend?”

Heather started crying again, nodding, “Of course you are! I’ve only ever had Harry, no other friends, and now we have you and Ron as best friends and – You have no idea how sad I was over the summer thinking you didn’t want me as your friend anymore.” She moved closer to hug Hermione, “I wanted me making the team to be a surprise and… well I wasn’t sure how you guys would feel about it… But Hermione I swear I would still tell you all my secrets!”

Hermione nodded, “I’m glad you still like me the same.”

“Always, look I even wrote this out for you! Clues…”

“Oh yeah,” Ron looked relieved that everything was ok again. “She was going to tell us but then realized you weren’t there and didn’t.”

Hermione laughed and took the sketchbook, opening up to the newest page and scanning all the writing. They shared the book around and looked at each other, thinking through all the new information.

“Add a trail of spiders to the list.”

Heather nodded at Hermione and wrote it down in her book.

Madam Pomfrey made them leave when it was time for her medicine and so they spent the rest of the day kicking snow around and talking about the heir. They had gotten very bored very fast and soon the day was over before they knew it.

The following days went by just as fast, having nothing to do and unable to go exploring due to the monster, that by the time New Years day rolled around, they were more happy that school would start the next day and less so that there were festivities going on.

They sat at the only table in the great hall and listened to Hagrid tell funny stories to the other Professors. Malfoy kept throwing crinkled bits of confetti at Harry, but it didn’t seem to be due to anything other than boredom as well.

New Year’s day ended with all the remaining students excited for the start of term again and with the students in the Slytherin common room cheering their blood status which kept them from getting petrified over the holidays.

Heather went to bed and was ready to start the term with potions the very next morning.

Too excited for class, Heather skipped breakfast and went straight to the potions classroom to wait outside the door and look over her potions guidebook. After twenty minutes Professor Snape came by, hesitating before ignoring her and opening the door.

She looked up from her book and stepped inside, taking her seat as the first person in the room. She took the closest seat – Harry tried sitting them as far as possible normally – and continued reading. She heard clinking and looked up, watching Professor Snape setting out jars from the student stores for the potion they were to brew.

“Professor? May I help?” Heather went up to him and waited patiently.

He stood aside and looked down at her, “Page two-hundred and sixteen for the ingredients.”

Wanting to impress, she recalled what was on that page without even looking down at a textbook, “Oh. A Soft Burning Skin Salve.”

She waited for any reaction from him, but he kept very still with his arms crossed and eyes narrowed. She swallowed and turned away, taking out the rest of the needed jars. Professor Snape walked back to his desk and looked over essays from before the holidays started. She set the jars out on the center table in order of first used to last used and sat back down.

“I was making my rounds yesterday – ”

His voice broke the silence in the room and made her jump, thinking it odd that he would start any form of conversation with her out of the blue.

“And I was quite surprised to see Miss Granger’s voice coming out of what appeared to be a Polyjuice potion gone – horribly – wrong.”

He looked over at her with his piercing gaze and held it. Heather felt her face go red and looked away quickly, knowing he knew exactly who stole from the student stores and his personal ones. She looked away and focused on her guidebook, hoping to mentally distance herself from a very possible and probable punishment.

For the first time since attending potions classes, she wished very much that she were sitting in the back. And unfortunately for her, Harry and Ron were the last to arrive which meant they were all stuck brewing potions three feet from Professor Snape’s prowling eyes.

It was ten minutes untill the bells were to toll, when Professor Snape announced double the homework load for over the weekend and looked directly at Harry, Ron, and Heather. Everyone groaned and they exited the classroom in a rush as the bells tolled.

Heather pulled them aside and very urgently hissed, “He knows! He knows he knows he knows!”

“Well that explains it then,” Harry groaned, “I thought he was doing it as a new year’s resolution: ‘Make Potter’s Life Worse’.”

“Well I’m surprised we aren’t being made to scrub the toilets or brush the roof, honestly,” Ron started down the stairs.

They reached the library corridor when they were jumped by Ginny suddenly.

“Is it true? Did the monster get Hermione?” she grabbed Ron’s arm completely ignoring the fact that Harry was right there.

Ron shook her off, “Not likely! She’s just in the hospital wing after a little accident with a potion.”

“Who told you she was petrified?” Heather wrapped her arm around Ginny’s shoulder trying to calm her.

“Everyone’s saying so. She never misses any of her classes and she wasn’t in potions or breakfast!”

They walked with Ginny to the library and sat down with her until she was calm enough to realize Harry was near her. She got up and practically ran out of the library saying she had some homework to do and classes to study for.

Throughout the month, people were so curious about what happened to Hermione that they had to shoo people away from the door every time they visited. Madam Pomfrey even had to close up Hermione’s curtains whenever the doors were going to open.

Worst of all was when Professor Snape happened to be delivering the cure for Hermione’s ‘sudden affliction’. They tried mixing up the times they visited her, but he seemed to purposefully stop by whenever they were there, almost enjoying the jumps they gave when he entered. As if that wasn’t punishment enough, he was also assigning double the essay lengths every week still.

“Here you are Hermione, this week’s homework and notes,” Heather placed her journal down on the table.

“Thank you.”

Hermione started looking over things as they all settled down around her. Ron squinted and leaned forward, pulling a little golden card – that Hermione was too slow to hide – and scoffed.

“A get-well card from Lockhart?” He flipped it open, “‘Miss Granger, Hope to see you in class soon. Your Third-Class Order of Merlin, five-times winner of Witch Weekly’s Most-Charming-Smile Award, and much acclaimed Honorary Member of the Defense Against Dark Forces League, Professor Gilderoy Lockhart.’”

Heather started laughing and snorting, unable to keep her composure, “Please read it one more time!”

Ron shook his head and held it between two fingers, disgusted. “You keep this under your pillow? Even when you sleep?”

Hermione took it back just as the curtains opened to reveal Madam Pomfrey and Professor Snape. They all jumped – for the hundredth time that week – and were forced to leave so Madam Pomfrey could giver Hermione her hourly dose.

They were all glad – Hermione most of all – to see that there was practically no fur around Hermione’s face and that her eyes were no longer yellow slits. Her ears seemed smaller and her tail was almost gone, she told them.

They tried to keep their voices down as they made their way out of the hospital wing, followed close behind by Professor Snape.

“Real humble, isn’t he?” Ron scoffed, “I think it was good he didn’t mention his position of Captain of his hair fan club.”

Heather laughed, “Yeah, that would have been too over the top.”

Professor Snape pushed passed them and turned out of sight.

Harry shook his head, “If he doesn’t let up on homework, we’ll be finishing it all by the time we turn sixty.”

“If he thinks it’s us, why aren’t we in any trouble?”

Ron had a good point, but Heather couldn’t think of a good reason and shrugged, “Maybe he can’t prove it.”

They started up some stairs when Harry shushed them. Heather tensed, thinking he was hearing voices again, but she realized she could hear it too. They rushed up the stairs to the second floor and hid behind a suit of armor, listening as Filch complained about water flooding the passageway again.

“I’m getting Dumbledore! This is the last straw – This’ll take me all night!” Filch rushed down the stairs on the other side of the passageway.

They crept closer, careful not to get water in their shoes, and entered Myrtle’s bathroom. They heard her crying in the farthest stall as water from several pipes gushed water onto the floor in waves. They lifted their robes and waded through the water, soaking their socks, and poked their heads into the stall where Myrtle sat.

She was weeping into her hands and didn’t look up when they knocked on the door.

“Are you alright, Myrtle?” Heather stepped forward but soon realized she wouldn’t be able to put her arm on her shoulder.

“Alright? Who would be alright after getting a book thrown at them!” Myrtle leapt from the toilet and splashed behind them, making their backs all wet.

“Yuck!” Ron pushed Heather forward again in case Myrtle splashed again.

“Who’s throwing books at you?”

“I didn’t see! I always mind my business when people come in here and yet people still feel the need to tease me!”

She kicked her foot and they had to turn quickly to not get their front-sides wet.

“Was it the second year potions book? Because then we can assure you it had nothing to do with you,” Ron looked around for it.

“It’s over there,” Myrtle pointed to a thin black journal floating under a sink.

They walked over and Harry bent down ready to pick it up when Ron pulled his arm back.

“Haven’t you learned yet not to touch books that you don’t know where they came from?” Ron looked at him like he was mad. “It could be dangerous, you know!”

Heather scoffed, “A book? Dangerous?”

“Yeah! Dad tells us this all the time. The Ministry’s constantly confiscating dangerous books. Books that can burn your eyes out or rot your brain instantly!”

“Well, we won’t know what it does unless we pick it up,” Harry tried reaching for it again.

“Nuh uh!” Heather pulled his arm back, “Filch is getting Professor Dumbledore. We can wait here for him and – ”

Harry nodded like he was listening and lunged for the book, too fast to be stopped.

“Or we can just see what it is ourselves,” he pulled it out of the water and stood back up.

Heather glared at him and punched him with every word, “You. Never. Think. Things. Through!”

“Well I have it! I have it already,” he pushed her away and opened the cover – ignoring Ron’s yelp. “T.M Riddle… It’s over fifty years old.”

Ron dropped his hands, “T.M Riddle? That kid got an award fifty years ago for ‘Special Services’ to the school!”

Heather looked at them both confused, “Ron… how do you know that?”

“It was his shield I was polishing for over an hour – and longer after I burped up more slug slime – don’t make that face,” Ron took the book from Harry, “Yeah that’s it exactly… but it’s not written in.”

Harry took it back and flipped through the pages and closed the book, examining the back. “Vauxhall Road, London. That’s where it was sold…”

“He must have some connection to the muggle-world then. No pureblood would be caught dead with muggle bought school supplies, or at least not anyone from Slytherin – pureblood or not.”

Ron rolled his eyes at her and turned to Harry, “Let’s go, before Filch shows up with Dumbledore.”

#  **~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~**


	14. The Empty Diary

#  **~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~**

It was the beginning of February and they were huddled around Hermione’s blue fire by the courtyard. They were telling her how they found T.M Riddle’s journal, shivering madly but refusing to talk about it inside the castle anywhere in case anyone overheard. It was times like these that made Heather wish they had all been placed in the same house, but at the same time she couldn’t picture any of them in Slytherin.

“What’s this book doing here then, if he graduated so long ago?” Hermione was inspecting the book for any hidden ink by putting it up to the jar.

“It must have been left behind and someone found it… or it was passed down to T.M Riddle’s kid or something… Know anyone with the last name Riddle?” Heather clutched her robe tighter around herself.

They all shook their heads.

“I really think you should just chuck it Harry,” Ron still felt uneasy about the mysterious book. “If it’s really from a muggle bookstore then the current owner of it is part muggle and has nothing to do with all our other clues.”

“I know… I just want to know more about him…” Harry took the book back and hid it in his robe. “What special services did he do to get that award?”

“Well, let’s see. Someone opened the chamber fifty years ago, murdered someone, and got expelled for it – ”

“You’re saying T.M Riddle caught whoever got expelled?” Heather thought about it some more, “But then why would their kid try to flush it? Wouldn’t you be proud to have something like that?”

Hermione nodded, “I don’t know… but I bet his journal has all the answers!” She took the book back from Harry, “Who was the last heir, where the chamber is, what the monster is!” She took out her wand and waved it over the book, “Aparecium!”

They all looked at the book, which did nothing.

Hermione shook her head, “Hold on.” She fished out a magic red eraser and rubbed it all over the first page, “Something HAS to appear.”

“It’s just an ordinary muggle journal, Hermione. Heather’s right, if he were THAT important, whoever chucked it would have kept it instead,” Ron took the journal and handed it back to Harry. “And you should chuck it too.”

Heather knew the look in Harry’s eyes. He wouldn’t be able to give it up until he was satisfied and judging by the burning question of who was T.M Riddle, he’d be obsessing over it for weeks to come.

“He won an award, that’s all,” Heather said one last time.

Harry nodded and everyone left it at that. At least until break the following day when Harry dragged them all down to the trophy room so that he could see the award for himself.

The trophy room was large with very few candles, though it was anything but dim. All the shiny trophies and medals reflected the little light the candles gave off and illuminated the room so that everything was perfectly in view.

Harry examined the name on the shield while Hermione went through shelves of medals. Ron and Heather stood back, kicking at dirt, uninterested in whoever Riddle was. At one point Heather and Ron had sat down and tried throwing a whizzing fire ball back and forth without letting it sizzle out until Hermione broke the silence with her excitement.

“Look, look!” She waved everyone over and pointed at a thick round medal, “‘Magical Merit Award: T.M Riddle’ and back there is a paper with all the Head Boys and he was one of them!”

“So, what, he was like Percy?” Heather examined the medal with Harry.

Ron scoffed and shook his head, “Top of his classes and Head Boy doesn’t make that journal interesting.”

“Being the top student at the school isn’t bad, Ron.” Hermione rolled her eyes, “Percy has a right to be proud.”

“True, but I agree with Ron. Riddle’s journal is no more interesting than any of Percy’s,” Heather put her hand on Harry’s, “Sorry.”

The following week Harry hadn’t brought it up again and the thought of Riddle’s journal left with the winter season as spring rolled through the grounds of Hogwarts. The sun was coming through the clouds and the grassy lawn was no longer frozen in the mornings. Best of all were the silent sighs of relief that no one else had been attacked by the monster roaming the grounds.

One herbology class Professor Sprout even announced that the Mandrakes would be ready soon as they were nearing young adulthood. She could tell by the way they snapped at her fingers less and cut down their crying to three times a day.

“Your classmates will be back in no time!” she said cheerfully petting some leaves.

Heather was glad for it. The past few months she had been partnering up with only Slytherins since the Ravenclaws were still convinced it was her who opened the Chamber of Secrets. It seemed the school was split between blaming Harry or her. The Hufflepuffs all thought it was Harry, the Ravenclaws thought it was her, the Slytherins knew it was neither, and the Gryffindors were all riled up ready to fight, not really believing anyone did open it, just that the monster had finally escaped.

Heather sighed, ignoring the stares from the Ravenclaws through the tiny drooping shrubs they were examining. She poked at a tiny bud and got squirted in the face, daring her to mess with it again.

“Don’t cry Heather. Your hair isn’t THAT bad this morning,” Pansy laughed and slapped the desk, encouraging her other Slytherin friends to laugh as well.

Now that Slytherins knew it wasn’t Heather, Pansy had gone back to her usual self. Heather smiled at her and walked over to all the back packs to pack her things early, ready to leave for transfigurations as soon as possible.

The bells tolled and she quickly picked up the shrub and placed the pot back, heading out of the green house as fast as she could. She raced up the lawn and down the corridors until she reached the line forming outside Professor McGonagall’s classroom.

“Why are you in a hurry?” Harry laughed as she joined them.

“Pansy’s feeling chatty today,” Heather laughed, “And I stuck a squirting bud in her bag before I left.”

The four of them looked over at the group of Slytherins in the back of the line and snickered, hoping Pansy would reach in there before Professor McGonagall arrived. They heard footsteps and were forced to stand back against the wall.

“Don’t worry, Minerva, they’ve clearly realized I’m on their tracks! I doubt they’ll even try it again so long as I’m here,” Lockhart waved his glittering cloak around all grand-like.

Heather was having a hard time keeping her laughter in after watching the way Professor McGonagall reacted to his words. She opened her mouth and shook her head in annoyance only to smile and nod politely the second he looked at her.

She stopped at her door, “Well, thank you for walking me, Gilderoy. But I think I can manage now,” she smiled and waved him goodbye.

“Oh well you never know really – ”

The fake smile on her face dropped, “Yes, some might find being alone during these times hard to manage.”

“Exactly!” Lockhart beamed.

Professor McGonagall shook her head and motioned for the students to enter already. Everyone filed in and she shut the door before Lockhart could step inside. To make matters worse, when the door to transfigurations flew open at the sound of the bells, Lockhart was still standing out there, obviously waiting to continue talking to her.

“Have I told you about my idea for this month? Just a nice morale booster to get everyone back in high spirits!”

Hermione pulled her arm away from Ron who was trying to rush them all out and turned, “What idea!”

Heather helped Ron and Harry push her out, “Don’t worry I’m sure he’ll let the whole school know soon.”

And he did. By February Fourteenth there wasn’t a person at Hogwarts who didn’t know what his great idea was. The great hall had been transformed into some monstrous garden of pink and lavender flowers with little grubby cupids flying greedily above their heads.

Heather walked over to the Gryffindor table and sat down, appalled by the intense love symbols plastered all over the walls. Ron was frowning and shaking his head, unwilling to take a bite out of his bacon while Hermione tried catching the confetti falling from the enchanted clear-sky ceiling.

Heather reached for her cup of juice and set it back down as confetti collected inside. Harry ran in moments later, looking around confused. He sat down and asked what had happened, wondering if one of Professor Sprout’s shrubs had exploded early, but all Ron could do was point up at the high table and look away in disgust.

Everyone looked over as Lockhart stood up and cleared his throat. He opened his arms and began talking enthusiastically, “Surprise! Surprise! Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone, especially those forty-six of you who have ALREADY sent me such wonderful cards. And now for the REAL surprise!”

“Real surprise?” Harry whispered.

Lockhart clapped his hands and the doors flew open. Dozens of dwarfs marched into the great hall all dressed like the cupids floating angrily above except with musical instruments and heart shaped arrows.

“But, what’s the point of those then?” Heather pointed up.

“They’re nothing but pocket thieves,” Ron huffed, “And nasty gossipers.”

“Thank you, my many friends!” Lockhart motioned to the dwarfs lining up under him, “Entrust your love letters to these mighty cupids and I guarantee they will be delivered promptly!” He shooed them away and turned to the other teachers, “Perhaps you all would like to contribute as well! Severus! What about whipping up some delicious love potions – ”

Professor Snape started at the mention of his name and his irritated demeanor turned to venomous hatred, looking as if he was ready to slip poison into his cup or the cup of anyone who dared ask him for it. Although Heather couldn’t quite tell if he was more upset that his first name was used to address him in front of the whole school, or in being asked to make the potion for students.

“And Professor Flitwick,” Lockhart continued – Professor Flitwick buried his face in his hands in advance, “I know you know quite a great deal about Entrancing Enchantments,” he winked.

Everyone exited the great hall as soon as they were done eating and Ron pulled them aside, “Hermione, just say you didn’t send him a letter.”

She took Heather’s arm without responding and led them to class. All day long they could hardly concentrate with dwarf after dwarf entering and yelling out names and handing out cards. To make matters worse, Ron had gotten a card – though he threw it out immediately as if it were covered in smelly slime – and forbidden anyone from talking about it, Hermione had received one, and to Heather’s surprise even Harry got a card.

They were on their way to charms when a dwarf called out for him, yelling “’Arry Pottah! Move out the way – you!” He held out the card and waved it around in front of Harry’s face until he took it.

“Alright, thank you, thanks,” Harry shoved it in his pocket and tried to run away but the dwarf stopped them in their tracks.

“There’s a song attached to the note.”

Heather wanted to laugh but knew she would get kicked in the shins if she did. The corridor got less noisy and the line of first years all turned, ready to hear the small man sing Harry a love song.

“No, that’s alright, don’t sing it!” Harry pulled everyone’s arms and tried to run away but the dwarf stood his ground, pulling on Harry’s bag to get him to stay. “No, please.”

“Back off, we don’t want to hear it,” Ron pulled Harry’s bag the other way.

There was a sudden rip and the bag tore open. Papers fluttered to the ground and the ink shattered and pooled on all his books and parchments. Heather dragged her fingers over her cheeks in second-hand embarrassment and wanted to run to class.

Harry rushed to collect all his wet books and dry parchments that had escaped the inky fate of the others but was pushed over by the dwarf to keep him still. Ron, Hermione, and Heather had no choice but to watch in horror as the dwarf began to sing to Harry.

“From your admirer: ‘His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad; his hair is as dark as a blackboard. I wish he were mine, he’s really divine; the hero who conquered the Dark Lord.’”

Heather looked around at all the laughing first years and to her horror on behalf of Harry, she saw Ginny Weasley and Draco Malfoy among the crowd. Malfoy was clutching his stomach unable to breath while Ginny looked bright pink and horrified for Harry as well.

“Break it up, break it up,” Percy walked through the crowd.

Harry looked to Heather for help, but she just widened her eyes unable to move from her spot or speak a single word. She ran to Harry and lifted him up while Hermione and Ron shoved everything into his bag while Percy attempted to disperse the crowd.

Malfoy regained his composure and picked up Riddle’s journal off the ground and showed it to Crabbe and Goyle. “What’s in Potter’s diary?” he yelled, trying to get everyone’s attention. He flipped through the pages and was sorely disappointed, “Too boring a life to write about?”

Percy held out his Prefects badge, “Give that back, Malfoy. Before I take points away from Slytherin. And everyone else get to class, the bells sounded already! I WILL start taking points.”

Ginny lunged for the journal but Ron was quicker, snatching it away and handing it to Harry. If Percy hadn’t been there, Heather was sure a duel would have broken out between the four of them and Malfoy and his goons.

Percy placed his hands on his hips sternly and demanded they get to class. The line of first years started entering their classroom.

“Sorry, Weasley. Looks like Potter didn’t like your song,” Malfoy looked at Ginny and smiled. “It was truly awful.”

Ron pointed his wand but Harry pulled him back. Percy held out his arms and started rushing them to class. He followed them all the way to the door, probably in fear that Ron would turn around and try hexing Malfoy, who was laughing at them still a few feet behind.

They got to class and took their seats. Heather sat next to Harry and they both quickly forgot about the embarrassing ordeal as they attempted turning Heather’s toad purple. Harry got frustrated very quickly and pretended to search for something in his bag while Professor Flitwick walked around.

“Heather… Heather look!”

Heather looked down and saw Harry opening his bag for her to see, “What is it?”

He picked up Riddle’s journal and flipped through the pages, “See?”

“No.”

“They’re clean. Not a drop of ink on them.”

Heather gave him a half smile, “Lucky it didn’t get soaked.”

“Lucky,” Harry nodded and for the rest of class looked like he was thinking of something.

After class Heather said her goodbyes and headed to her dormitory to put her stuff away and head out for Quidditch practice. She saw Malfoy in the distance, marching through the grassy lawn, and ran to catch up, pulling his shoulder back to face her.

“That was rude what you said earlier,” she frowned.

Malfoy shook his head, “I was only playing. Besides, you’ll thank me later when none of his ridiculous fame has gone to his head.”

Heather let him go on ahead of her, annoyed that he couldn’t see he was just being a horrible bully. During line up she stood on the opposite side of him and all throughout practice she ignored his jokes and avoided his eyes. She wanted to find some way to make him see how everyone either hated him or feared him – with the exception of his friends who enjoyed everything that came out of his mouth – but she didn’t want to stoop to his level in any way.

After practice she took her time putting her broom in the shed and walked slowly back to the castle feeling defeated. Perhaps Malfoy was a challenge for some other time, when there wasn’t a monster loose in the castle petrifying students left and right.

She headed down the main floor corridor and down the dungeon stairs, thinking of ways to make Malfoy a better person. She wasn’t paying much attention to her surroundings, so when she bumped into something and fell back on her butt she screamed, thinking it was the monster.

A hand covered her mouth and heard the person whisper “Lumos”. Their wand light turned on and Heather squinted at Ginny, who was knelt beside her.

“I thought you saw me.”

Heather stood up and started wiping the dust and dirt away when she realized there was no point since her Quidditch robes were already stained. “I was busy thinking. Maybe cough next time.”

Ginny nodded and looked around, “I saw your team head in. Can we talk?”

Heather looked at her curiously and nodded, “Sure, but let’s start walking to the tower. It’s almost after hours and at least I can say I slipped and fell and that’s why I’m late to heading in… you don’t really have a good excuse, being a first year and all.”

Ginny agreed and back up the dungeon stairs they went.

“Um, Heather, about what happened in the hall – ”

“Oh, don’t worry. Harry doesn’t think you wrote it, just that Malfoy was making fun of you – ”

“NO! Not that – ”

Heather laughed, “Or DID you write it?”

Ginny went very pink, “Um, Harry’s diary… It doesn’t… Is there anything in there about – about me? Like any – ”

Heather wanted to hug Ginny suddenly. She felt bad that she had such a huge crush on Harry when he wasn’t even thinking about any girl, let alone her. She wasn’t even sure if he fully understood how big a crush Ginny had on him or if he thought she was just shy because he was some big famous celebrity she grew up hearing about – though Heather personally thought it was both.

“No, he hasn’t written about you, or any girl. It’s all blank, he just got it… If I find out anything, you’ll be the first to know – if he shows me of course,” Heather gave her a reassuring smile as they got to the portrait of the fat lady.

Ginny looked between nauseated and tired, “R-right… you’ll let me know if you see him write in it?”

Heather yawned, “Of course. Night.”

Ginny nodded and leaned in to whisper the password. The portrait opened and she ducked into the hole, leaving Heather free to head back.

She ran down to her common room and made it in just in time. She yanked on the elastic band keeping her hair up and headed up the stairs for her pajamas and a hot bath in the girl’s bathroom before heading to bed and going right to sleep.

The next day she was surprised when all three of her friends were up bright and early waiting outside her common room to see her.

“Why are you – ”

Harry grabbed her wrist and pulled her with him, “No time! I need to tell you something!”

She followed them up and out towards the courtyard and stopped at a distant tree in the corner where they could see if either Percy or the twins were walking through. They sat at its roots and Harry urged their heads closer so he could whisper.

“Well, we’re all here. Tell us already,” Ron looked annoyed.

Harry took a deep breath, “I saw Riddle last night!”

They all looked at him like he had finally lost it.

Harry nodded vigorously, “I did! The journal. I wrote in it and… it wrote back.”

“It wrote back?” Heather looked at Hermione, “But it’s a muggle journal…”

Ron turned very pale, “Wizard journals don’t even do that… are you sure it did?”

Harry nodded.

“Harry, I TOLD you not to pick it up! It must have dark magic!” Ron made to get up but Harry and Hermione pulled him back down.

“Ron, it doesn’t have dark magic. Riddle must have made it… to warn us about the chamber of secrets. He showed me who opened it last time… And what the monster was…”

Everyone kept looking to Harry, waiting for him to continue, but he looked distraught.

“Well?” Hermione crossed her arms, “Who did he say was the heir?”

Harry leaned in closer and whispered, “Hagrid.”

They immediately erupted in objections, taking turns with reason after reason why Hagrid couldn’t be the heir.

Harry put up his hands to calm them all down, “I don’t think he’s the heir either! I’m just telling you what Riddle SHOWED me.”

Hermione scoffed angrily, “Well he obviously got the wrong person.”

Harry nodded but Heather sighed heavily, feeling she needed to point something out.

“But… he does love monsters. Just look at Fluffy for instance – “

“So, you think that makes him a murderer?”

Heather groaned at Ron’s immediate conclusion, “No! But think about Hagrid’s dragon he hatched… He loved it even though it was very VERY dangerous. What if…”

“He had a pet that was dangerous… A pet that he didn’t know would kill a student,” Hermione finished her sentence and bit her nails, thinking of something.

“Riddle thought the same thing. Hagrid said it hadn’t killed anyone, but Riddle thought the monster did it by accident, he told him so. Riddle tried killing it, but it escaped the both of them… and, Hagrid told us he got expelled.”

“It sounds like Riddle is telling the truth,” Hermione concluded.

“Great,” Ron stood up, “So that’s it then? Hagrid’s the heir? It doesn’t make sense!”

Heather stood with Ron, “No. I’m sure it was an accident the first time, and all this means is that Hagrid’s monster has come back for some reason and obviously not on Hagrid’s command.”

Hermione jumped up, “Then we ask him! We go talk to him and see what he can tell us about his monster so we can stop all the attacks.”

Harry stayed sitting, “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“I agree. What kind of visit would that be? ‘Mmm, yes I WOULD like some tea, and also has your monster come back to haunt the school?’” Ron folded his arms.

“If there are any more attacks we’ll go talk to him, but there hasn’t been any recently so maybe it left again.”

Heather, Ron, and Hermione agreed and never brought it up even though they were each anxiously waiting for Harry to tell them he was hearing the voices. Every time Heather saw Harry for breakfast she was half afraid he’d tell her the horrible news that they’ll have to talk to Hagrid about his expulsion and the accidental murder of a student.

It wasn’t until a week had passed that Professor Sprout’s wonderful news that the Mandrakes were almost matured and that the cure would be right around the corner that they all felt a giant weight come off their backs. No attacks, no creepy monster voices in the corridors, the petrified students would soon be cured, and Easter holidays were soon approaching.

“There is something dire we have to think about, though,” Hermione looked them each in the eyes very seriously one breakfast.

Ron looked very tired suddenly, “What is it? Please tell me it’s something good.”

Hermione smiled, “It’s wonderful, Ron! We get to pick our subject for next year!”

Heather danced happily in her seat ignoring Ron and Harry’s groans, “Yes! We need to choose them carefully.”

Ron and Harry got up and left, leaving Hermione and Heather to talk about the classes together.

“Oh no! I almost forgot,” Heather slapped her forehead.

“What?”

“I forgot I was going to tell Ginny if Harry ever started writing in the journal.”

Hermione leaned in quickly, “You can’t!”

“I know… She wants to know if Harry writes about her in it so I think it would be safe and TRUE to say he is definitely not.”

Hermione looked calmer, “That might seem too harsh. Like he’s writing about other girls and NOT her. Just tell her it’s still blank, that way she’ll think he hasn’t written about anyone.”

Heather nodded, “And that’s technically true.”

Heather made a mental note to tell her exactly that next time she saw her.

#  **~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~**


	15. Slytherins vs Gryffindors

#  **~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~**

“Harry, you HAVE to think about this!”

Harry was trying to shake off Hermione in the corridors by dodging every which way between students. Ron was ahead by several feet, having slipped by Heather who was waiting to ambush him behind a pillar.

Heather kept up with Hermione, joining her in scolding Harry, “You can’t just pick randomly! You should at least read the descriptions before you make a choice!”

They made it into the great hall for dinner and Heather left it for Hermione to talk some sense into them. She sat next to Draco and Pansy, who were also talking about what classes they were going to take.

“So Heather, thought about what you’re going to take?” Pansy grinned and bated her eyes, “I personally think muggle studies suits you best.”

Heather rolled her eyes at the obvious insult, “Why would I need to take that. I already know everything there is to know… If anything, it sounds like you should take it. I bet you haven’t even seen a real muggle before.”

Draco snickered to himself while Pansy stared at her wide eyed and furious. How could anyone possibly think that Pansy Parkinson, a PUREBLOOD, would take Muggle Studies.

“Of course, I haven’t seen a real Muggle! Who do you think I am?” she jabbed her fork into a turkey slice.

Heather laughed, enjoying how easily she could push Pansy’s buttons with the whole ‘pureblood’ thing. “If you hate muggles just because your parents do then you’re a sheep.” Pansy dropped her fork and gasped, appalled. “Not like Draco here, who obviously has seen real muggles and that’s why he hates them so much. Right?”

Draco nodded confidently but never met either of their eyes. Crabbe and Goyle stood up straight and nodded as well, but their shifty eyes gave them away all the same. Heather smiled to herself and continued eating, taking comfort in the victorious silence she caused among them.

The next morning, she joined several of the Gryffindors outside in the courtyard who had gathered around Hermione and Percy. She spotted Harry and Ron on the outer edge of the group and ran over, squeezing herself between the both of them.

“What’s this then?”

Ron, who was cross-legged and resting his head on his hand, grumbled, “She’s convinced everyone to take it seriously.”

“Well, even Percy’s making it sound important,” Harry showed Heather his pros and cons to each class that Hermione surely made him do.

“Everything’s important to Percy.”

Heather paid closer attention to the crowd. Neville was hunched over a pile of letters marking tallies under subject names while Dean had a large parchment out with all the subjects written far apart from one another and tossing rocks to see where they landed on it.

“All of Neville’s relatives have written to him. Can you imagine sending a letter to Aunt Petunia asking her opinion?”

Heather coughed out a surprised laugh, “Harry, she’d faint on the spot.”

Harry smiled and nodded in agreement, “What are you picking then?”

“Divination for sure. I think we desperately need insight on our lives considering everything we go through,” she put a finger to her chin, “other than that I’m not sure. I’ll do whatever you guys do.”

Ron yawned, “Well WE’RE signing up for just two. Hermione’s signing up for ALL of them.”

Heather turned to Hermione who was busy explaining something to a very scared looking Gryffindor girl. If Hermione was signing up for all of them… Then she should too.

She took Ron’s unmarked subject list and scanned over it again. She frowned, realizing that the times wouldn’t align. Perhaps this was Hermione’s way to stay ahead without tipping anyone off at exactly which one’s she’d chosen.

“Same. I’ll take them all too then,” she grinned, “Just like Hermione if anyone asks.” She’ll just get it out of her at a later time.

Ron scoffed, “I shouldn’t have told you. And don’t you have practice now?” he looked at Harry’s watch.

Heather pulled Harry’s hand towards her and nodded, “If she mentions which subjects she PREFERS tell me!”

She got up and sprinted down to her dormitory for her Slytherin uniform, changing as fast as she could, and ran to the broom shed, throwing the doors open and grabbing her broom. She was the last one onto the pitch, but it looked like everyone was still stretching.

“Sorry I’m late,” she panted and sat down, stretching next to Draco.

Marcus nodded and hopped up, “Just hurry up.”

Marcus had been training them extra hard this last week since the match against Ravenclaw was in a few days and if they won, they would beat Gryffindor for the season. Gryffindors played against Hufflepuff in a week and it wouldn’t matter how quick Harry caught that snitch, her house would still be ahead for the house cup.

“What are you smiling at?” Draco stood up and jumped, shaking out his limbs.

“Just about how great it will be for Slytherins to win the House Cup for an eighth year in a row,” Heather stood too and twirled, feeling her Quidditch robes fly about.

“That’s the spirit, Potter.” Marcus clapped his hands, “Drills! Now!”

The whole team Kicked off and immediately got to work. Heather was glad the weather had gotten better and hoped it stayed that way for the next few days. Her team seemed to be in such high spirits, she was sure they’d beat Ravenclaw. She didn’t even drop the Quaffle once during practice that day, which meant she finally got a small nod of approval from her captain on her way towards the broom shed.

Two rigorous practice days later – which upset her because of the time she wasn’t able to study but glad for because she kept up her three-day streak of not dropping the Quaffle – and the Quidditch match was upon them.

She was walking with Ron, Harry, and Hermione to the pitch when she felt light rain hit her nose.

“I hope it doesn’t get worse. Maybe when we learn divination, I’ll be able to know ahead of time,” she wiped the droplet away.

Harry gave her a small pat and entered the stadium, leaving her to join her teammates in the lockers. Marcus was sliding on his gloves when she entered and stood on the bench, ready to give his speech.

“If we win this match we beat those Gryffindors AND we win the House cup. And that’s exactly what we’ll do. Whatever it takes. Play hard out there and remember our training. We know how they play. So, let’s use that and beat them to the ground! We’re winning this match. Now get out there.”

Heather cheered along with her team. She and Draco patted each other’s shoulders and ran out behind the others onto the field. They mounted their brooms and watched as the Ravenclaws took their places. The Ravenclaw captain extended his arm and Marcus swatted it away, grinning. Madam Hooch blew her whistle and they touched off.

Heather quickly fell behind Marcus as they chased the Ravenclaw captain who had captured the Quaffle first.

“BET FLINT DIDN’T SEE THAT ONE COMING – SNATCHED RIGHT FROM HIS HAND! SLYTHERINS IN CLOSE PURSUIT AND HERE COMES THE OTHER RAVENCLAW CHASER – ”

Heather dodged a bludger with w twist and managed to get in between the two slower Ravenclaw chasers while Marcus and Adrian caught up to the captain. She saw the Ravenclaw captain’s head flick back as if checking behind him and cut the left-most chaser off just as the captain threw the Quaffle behind him.

“POTTER HAS THE QUAFFLE – ”

She immediately pulled up and threw it to Adrian and dropped suddenly, taking a chaser by surprise and causing him to drop out of his close chase.

“THE SLYTHERINS HAVE THE QUAFFLE AND IT’S – OH THE RAVENCLAWS INTERCEPT!”

She turned her broom quickly to follow the chasers back towards the Slytherin side and nearly ran into a bludger hit by the Ravenclaw beater. She gasped and swerved, knocking into Adrian who kicked her back.

“POTTER ALMOST GOT HER HEAD BOWLED OFF BY A RAVENCLAW BLUDGER – ”

She followed his lead and pushed her way between Marcus and another chaser so that Adrian, Flint, and her were sandwiched between the two Ravenclaws. Marcus tapped his broom and Adrian and her immediately pushed against the Ravenclaws, freeing Marcus to go after the Quaffle.

She kept pushing heavily on the chaser as Flint reached out to steal the Quaffle but just as his fingers brushed it, a bludger knocked onto the back of his broom, sending him spinning.

“FIRST POINT TO RAVENCLAWS! FINALLY!”

The Quaffle was back in play and she caught a glimpse of Draco speeding down to their right. Marcus saw it too.

“SOMETHING’S CAUGHT MALFOY’S EYE, COULD IT BE THE GOLDEN SNITCH?”

Marcus looped and kicked at the Ravenclaw chaser as Adrian positioned himself underneath for an easy throw. She heard a beater smack the bludger behind her back and immediately swerved, watching as it went passed her and hit one of the Ravenclaw chasers square on the back.

“IT’S A CLOSE CHASE, WHAT ARE THE SLYTHERIN’S THINKING?”

She steadied herself and aimed her broom up to get above and ahead of the chase. She knew Adrian was flying down bellow Marcus and it looked like only two chasers were reaching for the Quaffle in Marcus’ hand – the other one was off the pitch.

Marcus aimed his broom and threw the Quaffle with Adrian following below for backup. The Ravenclaw captain shot forward and Heather leaned forward and dove straight for the tip of his broom. She dropped in front of him, cutting in front of his path and making him stop to avoid colliding with her.

“SLYTHERINS HAVE MADE IT IN. THE SCORES ARE TIED! GET THAT POINT BACK RAVENCLAWS!”

Marcus gave her a quick nod and signaled for her to switch chasers with Adrian. The Quaffle was thrown back in play and they were using every trick they had up their sleeve but with every point either team made, the other caught up.

It was now forty-forty and incredibly clear that the game would all come down to the snitch. She turned around quickly, scanning the air, and locked onto Draco. He was flying up chased by the Ravenclaw seeker.

“MALFOY’S ALMOST GOT IT! HIS BROOM IS TOO FAST TO CATCH UP TO – IT LOOKS LIKE THE GAME WILL BE OVER IN A FEW SECONDS – DON’T LET HIM – AH, MALFOY HAS CAUGHT THE SNITCH… SLYTHERINS HAVE WON ONE-HUNDRED AND NINETY TO FORTY. YOU’LL GET THEM NEXT YEAR RAVENCLAWS.”

Heather touched down next to Draco and hit his shoulder, “Nice going!”

He was about to say something back when Heather realized Harry, Ron, and Hermione were probably watching her from the stands still. She ran away quickly into the locker room before he could respond with anything.

She pulled off her gloves and pads and shoved them in her locker. She took back her wand and waited for her team to enter. They poured in one by one and put their gear away.

Marcus turned to them, “What’d I tell you?”

Adrian wiped sweat off his face, “Thanks to Malfoy. Those Ravenclaws are real tricky. We would have tied – ”

“We’ll worry about them next year,” Marcus turned to Malfoy, “If it weren’t for your broom that Seeker would have had it.”

Malfoy’s face went red, “I-I was just nervous – ”

“That made you fly all jittery. What’s the point in having the fastest broom out there if you don’t use it correctly when it matters?” Marcus picked up his wand and walked out of the locker room followed by the beaters and Adrian.

“I won us the game, didn’t I?” Draco threw his gear in his locker and slammed the it shut, forgetting his wand and quickly grabbing it before slamming the locker closed again.

“You spotted it before their Seeker and won the game. We can work on the chase of it together if you want,” Heather picked up his broom and handed it to him, “As Chasers we need to stay calm because of the Bludgers so we can do some drills Marcus has me do for that.”

Draco took the broom and nodded, “Fine.”

They walked out together and walked towards the broom shed.

“We can practice over the summer,” Draco looked at her, “But ONLY for practice.”

Heather thought about how furious Ron and Harry would be if she was EVER caught hanging out with ‘Draco Malfoy’ and AT HIS HOUSE… She would surely get a long talking to that even Vernon would commend.

“Just send me an owl… And we’ll see,” Heather nodded.

Her friends were waiting by the shed and she didn’t want Draco and Harry to fight, or worse, for Ron and Draco to.

“I’ll put away your broom,” she held out her hand.

Draco was too busy thinking and staring at the ground as they walked to realize why, “Here.” He handed it over and walked away.

She ran over to the shed and stuffed the brooms in.

“Why were you walking with him?” Ron frowned. “Since when are you all buddy-buddy?”

“We’re not. We’re just the youngest so the other leave without us. That’s ALL,” she reassured them.

Their walk back to the castle was quick which meant she could only gloat a little before they were separated for dinner. She watched Harry and Wood talking the entire time, shoveling food in their mouths quickly. She raised her eyebrows at them when Wood called Percy and a few other Prefects and a head boys and girls over to them.

Heather nudged Draco, “I think they think they can still win even though we’re ahead.”

Draco shook his head, “No. If we had lost to Ravenclaw, sure, maybe they could have tied. But their complete idiots if they think their next game matters at all to Slytherins.”

Pansy scoffed, “The game’s over. Can’t we talk about something else? Draco did you see my owl this morning? I got a new one – it’s EXTREMELY rare – ”

“Yeah – Crabbe, Goyle. Let’s go.”

Him, Crabbe, and Goyle left the table and exited the great hall towards the second passage to the Slytherin dungeons. Pansy glared at Heather, as if blaming her for his lack of interest in her third new owl.

“You bored him with your stupid theories,” she got up and sat next to her friends for the rest of dinner.

Heather crossed her arms and wished she had remembered her guide, wanting something to read while she ate. She looked over at the high table and noticed Lockhart talking Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick’s ears off. They both looked like they wanted to apparate out of there as fast as possible. It wasn’t until Professor Snape got up that Professor McGonagall left to join him, leaving Professor Flitwick at the mercy of Lockhart.

She noticed Harry, Wood, and Percy stand up and decided to follow them out. They were speaking excitedly and didn’t notice her coming up behind them on the entrance hall stairs.

“Harry?”

The three boys jumped and Wood almost tumbled down the stairs but caught himself.

“Were you eaves dropping?” Percy crossed his arms.

“No! I saw you leave and was curious what you guys were up to.”

Percy laughed, “That’s top secret right now.”

Harry nodded, “We’re just… planning.”

Heather narrowed her eyes in him, “For what? Think you can come out on top somehow? You’d have to gain almost a hundred points even AFTER you win against Hufflepuff.”

“And we will,” Wood clapped his hands together and lead Harry and Percy away.

She walked back down and noticed Fred and George standing together, shaking their heads.

“He’s been real secretive lately,” Fred frowned.

“It’s not like him. He could never keep any of Bill or Charlie’s secrets.”

Heather crossed her arms and looked after Harry and Percy with them. She knew Harry could keep a secret of ANY kind.

Come Monday, however, and the secret was out. Every Gryffindor was on their very best behavior, raising their hands for every question asked, staying behind to help teachers. Even during potions Harry and Ron joined Hermione in raising their hands, fully knowing they wouldn’t get called on.

Professor Snape looked increasingly agitated at all the Gryffindors who raised their hands after every question he asked. He didn’t call on any of them and as far as Heather knew, he hadn’t given out any points to any Gryffindor – or any student, not even Slytherins.

“How long am I expecting you to stir? And I will make myself – very – clear. Should you stir for longer than I instruct you to, I will send you back to first-year potions,” he ignored all the Gryffindor hands that were shooting up.

Draco raised his hand and Heather did the same, not wanting to miss a chance at proving her knowledge against him.

Professor Snape nodded towards Draco, “Twenty minutes. Thirty. Or fifteen?”

Draco smirked at Heather and sat up, “Thirty.”

Heather raised her hand again, ignoring Draco’s furious eyes on her. Professor Snape crossed his arms but did not say anything to Draco, staying very silent. Hermione’s hand was fluttering like crazy in the air while Heather sat there as calmly and as least annoying as possible.

“Potter.”

Heather put her hand down and opened her mouth, but Harry was faster.

“Twe – ”

“Not you. The other one,” Professor Snape growled.

“Until it thickens just enough that the berry at the bottom becomes hard to see, which is typically around thirty minutes, if done correctly,” Heather put her hand on her mouth to hide her smile from a still glaring Draco.

Professor Snape pointed at the chalkboard and the chalk floated up to step seven, writing ‘until it thickens’ under it in parentheses. “Now get started. You have an hour.”

Everyone quickly got to their stations and Heather sat next to Harry with Ron and Hermione across the table from them.

“If you’re trying not to lose points, maybe don’t talk around Professor Snape,” Heather laughed at him quietly.

Harry couldn’t keep the smile off his face, “He didn’t say which one. How was I supposed to know?”

She could hear his mental wink and coughed, trying to suppress a laugh. Hermione looked a little annoyed but she figured it was because she would have answered with the exact same thing. They started on their potions and both her and Hermione were surprised that Harry and Ron had actually payed attention and didn’t need any help from them at all.

“Why don’t you do this always?” Hermione grumbled.

The week went by and as annoying as it was that the Gryffindors had earned enough points, Heather was impressed… somewhat. It wasn’t a surprise that they did it, every teacher was basically jumping at any excuse to give them points, but what really impressed Heather was that no points had been taken off for a whole week. Not even by Professor Snape.

They exited the classroom and headed towards Gryffindor tower because Harry and Ron wanted to put their stuff away while Hermione grabbed an extra book to bring to the library. Heather sat down on the landing and stretched out her legs, waiting for them to come out.

She heard the portrait swing open and hit the wall followed by the fat lady screaming “hey!”

Heather jumped up and let Harry pull her aside, “Someone stole the journal!”

Heather gasped and looked around, “When? Just now?”

“While we were in potions! But that’s not all! Hermione says that only – ”

“A Gryffindor could have taken it,” Heather gasped again. “So much for being a house of only good and kind wizards…”

Harry rolled his eyes at her and groaned, “Can we focus? Only someone who knew our password took it – ”

“A Gryffindor – ”

“…But why?”

Heather shook her head, “I’ll meet you in the library. I’ll see you guys there, and hurry!”

Heather ran as fast as she could down to the Slytherin common – almost knocking Pansy down – and grabbed her art book. She shoved it in her bag and ran back out – yelling a quick sorry to Pansy – and made it to the library in time to walk in with them.

They sat at the back and immediately started arguing about what that meant. Heather took out her art book and wrote down more clues about the journal and all they knew about it. Hermione made her rearrange their theories from likely to least likely instead of her crossed out and frantic writing.

“Well, at least it’s just the journal. Maybe whoever took it doesn’t even know what it does… they just heard you had one after the incident on Valentine’s day and took it,” Heather didn’t sound very convincing even to herself.

They all nodded however, wanting to believe nothing was about to go very wrong. She closed the art book and the conversation ended for the day. They focused on homework and soon got swept up in Harry’s Quidditch match against Hufflepuff the very next day.

Heather sat with the Slytherins during breakfast Saturday morning and joined in glaring at the Gryffindors. They all had smug faces and acted like they had already won the match. Wood was high-fiving everyone and cheering Harry. Fred and George were fake stretching around some older Gryffindor girls and showing off their ‘whacking forms’. Even Harry was looking back at her with an obnoxious we-did-it smile.

The bells rang and breakfast was over. The whole school exited the great hall and headed for the stadiums early, too excited to wait with all the hype the Gryffindors had caused. Though, as she was looking around, she could see some not-too-happy Hufflepuffs walking away.

“You haven’t won,” Heather flicked his ear.

“Ow. But we will,” Harry laughed.

The four of them headed up the stairs and towards Gryffindor tower for Harry’s broom and uniform, fighting and gloating the whole way there. Even Hermione was very optimistic that they would win and that the “probabilities are high that Gryffindors and Slytherins will AT LEAST tie.” Heather rolled her eyes and kept silent after that.

They were soon on their last flight of stairs when Harry screamed and jumped back, knocking into Heather and Hermione and almost causing them to tumble over.

Heather clutched the railing and pulled Harry up, “What – ”

“Can you hear that?” Harry was squinting and looking around like crazy.

Ron ducked and looked around too, “No! Where? What’s it saying?”

Heather strainer her ears, “Harry, I don’t hear anything… maybe… no. All I hear are the vents and all the talking portraits.”

Harry shook his head, trembling slightly, “No, it’s not the air or the paintings. Its low and it’s saying words. ‘Kill’. ‘Tear’. I-it just keeps saying it.”

Hermione gasped suddenly and they all turned to her.

“You heard it?”

“No, I-I just thought of something! I’ll meet you in the stands! I need to find something!” she ran down the stairs and was out of view before they could process anything.

“You should go after her,” Harry tried to calm his shaking breathing, “Both your brains might be needed.”

“No, Harry. I’m not leaving you. Whatever monster is saying this stuff is freaking you out but I’m right here with you.”

Harry nodded and Heather and smiled, “I need to get my stuff… We’ll be right back.”

Harry and Ron ran inside and within minutes they were out, and Harry was looking much better. He said he stopped hearing it and so they decided that was enough of that for the time being. They jogged down to the pitch and Ron and Heather raced to the Gryffindor stands.

Heather was joining in the hype, needing any amount of excitement to distract from whatever horrible thing was happening to Harry. Even Ron seemed to be more enthusiastic than before and so they took the front spot and cheered the best they could as the Gryffindor players walked out.

She felt her anxiety creeping up and she closed her eyes tight, trying to drown out her fear with the cheering. She felt Ron’s hand on her shoulder and looked up to thank him for trying to help calm her, but he wasn’t looking at her. She followed his gaze and saw Professor McGonagall running onto the field with a grim look on her face.

“This can’t be good,” Ron whispered.

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	16. Their Last Lead

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Year 2 is now caught up with my tumblr uploads so all further chapters will now be posted twice a week with my tumblr schedule (typically Tuesdays and Fridays) :D

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The stadium was quiet and all eyes were on Professor McGonagall who hadn’t ever looked so stressed and worried as she did then, standing in the middle of the Quidditch pitch. Everyone was quiet and tense as they waited for her to give the announcement.

She put the tip of her wand to her throat, “The match is canceled. All students must make their ways to their common rooms and wait for their Head of House to make an announcement. Prefects you know what to do.”

Ron and Heather looked at each other with worry and followed the school out of the stadium. They were at the pitch entrance waiting for Harry when they saw he was with Professor McGonagall. They ran up to him and fell behind him, surprised Professor McGonagall did not object to their intrusion.

She led them into the castle and towards the hospital wing without pause. The closer they got the queasier they felt wondering why she wanted to take them there. They looked at each other and suddenly they all thought the same horrible thing at once.

Professor McGonagall stopped just outside the doors and looked at them with grim concern, “I want the three of you to prepare yourselves. There has been a double attack… and well… you should go in.”

They entered the hospital wing and ran to a newly occupied bed where Hermione lay stiff as a board staring into the air at nothing. Her hand was out in front of her and Heather lightly touched it. She was warm still.

She felt uneasy, looking into her glassy eyes and wondered if Hermione could hear them at all. If she had followed Hermione she would have been in the same situation as her, frozen in time, and all alone. She hadn’t even told them why she had run off to the library in such a hurry.

“But she’s my lab partner! I only paid enough attention to not loose points,” Ron groaned and sat on the bed.

Harry and Heather looked at him incredulously.

“What? They’ll all be deptrified soon, that’s what all the teachers have been saying.”

Professor McGonagall shook her head at him, “Yes, Mr. Weasley. She’ll be fine soon enough.” She picked up a mirror off the bedside table and handed it to Heather, “This was by her and Penelope Clearwater’s feet – the other student who was petrified alongside Miss Granger. Do you recognize it?”

Heather looked at it and shook her head. She handed it to Harry and Ron who also had never seen the small mirror before.

Professor McGonagall took it back, “Then it must belong to Miss Clearwater’s. We weren’t sure whose it belonged to or why it was out,” she walked away from them.

“Poor Hermione, she’ll be missing out on so much homework,” Heather sat on the bed next to Ron.

“She’ll be expecting all our notes when she wakes up,” Harry looked into her eyes, “You’ll give her yours, right Heather?”

Ron sighed heavily, “Do you think she saw what the monster was?” Everyone shrugged and he nodded, “Why’d she have to go to the library anyway?”

Heather stood up and paced, “We said something that made her go check the library… but what was it?”

Just then Professor McGonagall was back with her stern face, “Unfortunately I need to escort you all back. So please, say goodbye to Miss Granger for now and follow me.”

She took Heather down to her common room first and waited for her to enter. All the Slytherins were waiting around for an explanation, though none of them seemed upset that the match had been canceled.

Draco waved her down and she sat by him, though she didn’t tell him where she had been or that she knew why they were sent away. They all sat quietly, until the door opened, and Professor Snape walked through.

He had his wand out for a second before putting it away to address them, “As of this second all students will not be permitted to walk in or out of the castle grounds unless accompanied by a teacher. Students will be escorted to each lesson by a teacher. The only areas outside of class open to students are study hall and the library.” He swept his eyes over everyone to make sure they were all paying attention before continuing, “All evening activities are canceled along with the remaining Quidditch training and matches.”

“So we’ve won the cup then,” Malfoy called out and all the Slytherins cheered.

Professor Snape gave a small smirk before becoming serious again, “I will escort everyone to breakfast an hour earlier, so do not. Be late. After breakfast I will also escort every year individually to their lessons… That is all.”

Professor Snape left and everyone started whispering to each other. Draco and the team were celebrating their early victory in winning the House Cup for everyone when a young girl spoke a little too loudly to her friends, drawing the whole house’s attention.

“– but doesn’t that mean the heir is one of us?”

Draco stood up, “Of course it’s one of us.”

The young girl looked away from him.

“Then why haven’t they said so?” someone else said, looking around at everyone.

Draco walked to the center, “If you’re the heir, stand up right now so I can personally shake your hand for doing more good for the school than Dumbledore ever did.”

Everyone looked around but no one stood. Heather thought for a second and decided to try one last time to get the heir to expose themselves to them all. That way the second they stood up she could turn them into Professor Snape before they had a chance to call the monster on her.

She stood up too and people gasped, “No. I’m not the heir. But maybe we should make it clear that, if the heir is here in this very room with us, we’re not going to turn you in. You’re one of us! More Slytherin than any of us!” People were nodding and looked eager, “Stand up now and we’ll name you our King!”

Draco gave a slight frown but cheered with over half the house.

“Heir! Heir! Heir!” people were chanting and looking around but no one stood after that.

Draco looked almost relieved that no one had stood and dethroned him. Heather sighed and sat back down next to Pansy.

“No one would dare stand up with you around. You’re a traitor no matter what you say,” Pansy stood up and entered the girl’s dormitory.

She hated to think it, but Pansy was probably right. If the heir was smart at all they wouldn’t tell anyone who could have a reason to alert the teachers.

The next day Harry, Ron, and Heather were sitting together in the great hall where not one, but two heads of houses sat vigilant grading papers on the high table. Students were either in their common rooms, the library with Madam Pince and Professor Flitwick, or in the great hall with Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall.

Heather was almost finished with the weekend potions essay assigned to them and was only missing a few sentences. “I need to ask Professor Snape a question, I’ll be right back.”

Harry nodded solemnly.

“On your way there would you mind asking Percy not to look so miserable? It’s really annoying. Fred and George said that Penelope Clearwater being petrified is freaking him out,” Ron leaned sideways to look at his long-faced brother. “Guess she was a Ravenclaw Prefect… He thought Prefects couldn’t get attacked. As if the monster cared about his stupid badge.”

Heather made her way towards the older Gryffindor students where Percy, Fred, and George sat with their friends. Fred and George were trying to cheer up Percy but all he did was sigh and look away from them.

“Hi, Percy. Ron sent me over here.”

“Oh? Why?”

“Uh, he just wants to know if you’re ok and if there’s anything he can do,” Heather grinned at him.

“How sweet of wittle Ronny,” Fred held back a laugh.

George put his finger to his chin as if in deep thought, “I just love how he is always so kind and thoughtful.”

Heather smiled at them but Percy didn’t seem to be in any mood to talk.

“Well, you can tell him I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be.”

Fred and George frowned at him and gave up on trying to get him to cheer up.

Heather noticed one of the Hufflepuffs nearby staring at her and thought it best not to approach her. She headed towards the high table but a Ravenclaw boy and second year Hufflepuff girl stood up and blocked her path.

The Hufflepuff that had been staring at her leaned forward, “So which Slytherin is the heir?”

Heather stared at her, “None of us.” She had wanted to sound sterner, but her answer came off sounding like a question.

The Ravenclaw held up his fingers, “Two Gryffindors, one Ravenclaw, one Hufflepuff, and zero Slytherins. Explain how it’s not a Slytherin doing this.”

Heather wanted to back away and run back to Harry but she couldn’t move her feet. “It’s just a coincidence – ”

“Or you’re the heir,” the Hufflepuff girl said. “Your brother fought You-Know-Who and you’re just jealous he’s famous and you’re not.” She looked at Harry and back to her, “We all know he can speak to snakes and we KNOW you can too. You’re just hiding it! You’re the Slytherin doing all this!”

Heather couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She scoffed at the girl and pushed passed her towards the high table, but she was pulled back by her hair. Heather yelped and tumbled back, almost tripping on her feet.

“You petrified Justin and we won’t let you do that to anymore of us!” The girl took the essay out of her hand and tore it up into pieces while Heather held her aching head and gasped.

The three students got up and left at the sound of scraping high-table chairs. Heather looked back and saw Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape making their way down but she just scooped up all the pieces and ran back to Harry and Ron before they could reach her.

“I hate this!” she slammed the pieces down and let several tears roll off her cheek onto the table.

“I saw that, what happened? Who – ”

She cut Harry off, “I don’t know! But I’m sure half the school thinks I really am an evil wizard.” She wiped her tears and rearranged her essay, “I have all the pieces so its fine.”

Ron handed her a fresh parchment, “Some Gryffindors yesterday were saying the same thing. We need to do something.”

“We’ll talk to Hagrid tonight,” Harry whispered, “We know he didn’t mean to hurt anyone when he released it but maybe he knows something that can help us stop it or put it back in the chamber.”

The three of them nodded and picked a time they would meet Heather, deciding on one in the morning. Heather looked back at the students who had attacked her and saw they were being talked to by a furious Professor McGonagall. It was just unfortunate that no detentions were being given out – on account of needing all the students to remain together – or she was sure they’d be forced to scrub all the gross seventh-year cauldrons.

They were walked back to their common rooms at six and all Heather had to do was wait for the time. She sat down and drew out what she thought the monster would look like, envisioning fangs and claws and evil red eyes. She was trying to prepare mentally, should she encounter it.

By twelve everyone was too bored to stay up which meant at one she slipped out the door undetected by anyone and slid under the cloak with Harry and Ron. The dungeons were eerie, but mostly because of the high likelihood of getting caught by Professor Snape. Heather never really feared the monster in the dungeons, knowing Professor Snape was the only being prowling the dark dungeon corridors for misbehaving Slytherins – and also because of the potions classrooms being right around the corners with highly explosive and dangerous materials.

The rest of the dungeon corridors, however, were truly terrifying. It wasn’t like last year on their way to the trap door, where all they had to worry about was Filch and his cat. Now every teacher, ghost, Prefect, head girl and boy were out roaming the corridors with wands out ready to stun. At least Heather didn’t have to worry about them being petrified under the invisibility cloak, never to be found or heard from again.

“Don’t make any noise,” Harry whispered to them.

That was easier said than done. Heather wanted to say something sarcastic back but held her tongue in annoyance. The invisibility cloak made them invisible, not silent, which was something Ron needed to realize soon.

“Stop breathing so heavily!” Heather elbowed him in the ribs, “You’ll get us caught!”

“Shhhh!” Ron shimmied forward ahead of Heather so he was behind Harry, “Percy’s up ahead. Let’s turn this way.”

They turned a corner to go the long way towards the front doors when they spotted Professor Snape ahead. He had his eyes narrowed as he scanned the passageway for anything unusual. They slowed their steps down and inched passed.

They had almost made it away silently when Ron stubbed his toe on the wooden base where a suit of armor stood, groaning loudly. Heather looked back quickly, ready to see Professor Snape marching up to them but found him recoiling from a fairly loud sneeze and rubbing his nose.

“Did he hear me?” Ron sounded like he was ready to run away screaming.

“No, he sneezed. We’re ok.”

They reached the large oak doors and pried them open, slipping out undetected into the night. They ran as best they could, huddled together under the cloak, towards the glowing orange lights across the lawn. They stomped up the steps to Hagrid’s door and threw off their cloak as Harry knocked.

The door flew open and they jumped back, yelping, as Hagrid thrusted a crossbow in their faces before realizing it was them.

“What in Merlin’s dress robe pockets are yeh three doin’ here?” Hagrid pushed a barking Fang back inside to clear the way for them.

“Why are you answering the door with a crossbow?” Ron sat down and clutched his chest.

“Oh this, er… It’s nothin’,” he set it down and walked over to the fire and hung a kettle over it.

As he prepared the cups and tea he kept looking out the window and down at Fang, as if expecting to see him do something. They waited patiently – everything was taking longer than normal with him only half paying attention to what he was doing – and took their teas from him, setting them down on the table.

Hagrid was cutting a slice of fruitcake when two knocks sounded at the door. Hagrid dropped his knife and the three of them threw on the cloak again, panicked that a teacher had found out where they had gone. Hagrid pushed them to the far wall, grabbed his crossbow, and flung open the door.

“Hagrid. How very unfortunate to catch you awake.”

Professor Dumbledore stepped inside followed by a grey-haired old man with an anxious expression plastered on his face. Hagrid stepped aside and let them step into what was Hagrid’s ‘living room’ – which was just a chair on a rug in front of the fire.

Ron turned is head and cupped his hands to whisper to Heather, “That’s the Minister of Magic, my dad’s boss.”

Harry gave them both looks and the three of them continued observing the three adults. Hagrid sat down on one of the kitchen chairs and looked at Professor Dumbledore, shaking his head.

The Minister of Magic shook his head too, “It has to be done. The public is frantic. Parents are demanding we close the school down and I must not let that happen. This year has been some very bad business for the Ministry.”

Hagrid keep shaking his head, “But I have nothin’ to do with this! Professor Dumbledore, please believe that I would never – ”

Professor Dumbledore nodded, “Cornelius, Hagrid has my full confidence – ”

“Albus, full confidence or not. The public is demanding something be done. My hands are tied. What with Hagrid’s record – They’re looking to the Ministry, Albus.”

Professor Dumbledore looked the Minister in the eyes, willing him to face his words, “Removing Hagrid from Hogwarts grounds will not solve anything. It will do nothing but harm to the moral of my staff, my students, and their faith.”

Hagrid was nodding but the Minister shook his head, refusing to hear any more, “The public must be shown something. If you are right – which I’m sure you are – then the attacks will continue, and Hagrid will be cleared and returned in no time. No real harm will be done to anyone. If I were you, I would be worried about the school governors. Not this.”

Heather couldn’t believe what she was hearing. He was talking as if Hagrid didn’t have feelings, as if the Ministry was more important than him. She wished they didn’t have to remain hidden so they could fight for Hagrid to stay. She was sure Harry could get it done.

Hagrid was trembling and shaking all over, “Hold on a moment, ‘removing’ me? Where are yeh taking me? Where are yeh sending me to!”

The Minister avoided Hagrid’s eyes, “It’s only until this whole business is dealt with. The public’s fear must be eased somehow. It isn’t personal, I hope you know that. It’s my duty. My hands are tied. I tuly wish I didn’t have to do this. Truly.”

“Azkaban. You’re sending me to Azkaban!” Hagrid looked like he was going to be sick.

There was a knock on the door before anyone could respond – not that it looked like anyone was planning to – and Professor Dumbledore answered it.

“Lucius Malfoy,” Ron growled.

Harry didn’t try to quiet him this time. The three of them watched Mr. Malfoy stride inside with his cane in hand and brush away part of his long black traveling cloak to show off his expensive black suit. He looked around and smiled coldly at Professor Dumbledore.

Fang sprang up and growled loudly but Mr. Malfoy didn’t flinch. He looked like he wanted a reason to hex the dog, and Hagrid saw it in his eyes right away, pulling Fang back.

“What’re yeh doin’ here in my house?” Hagrid rose, towering over everyone. “I don’t want yeh in here!”

Mr. Malfoy looked amused, “Trust me. This is the last place I want to be, but as a school governor, I had to come down and meet with the Headmaster, who I was told was in… you called this your house? Did you? And,” he turned to the Minister, “it’s good to see you’re already here, Fudge.”

“And what, if I may ask, do we need to meet about now?” Professor Dumbledore’s voice was cold but polite.

Mr. Malfoy sneered, “My humblest apologies to have to be the one to tell you this, but it looks like the governors are requesting for you to step aside.” He pulled out a roll and handed it to him, “This is the Order of Suspension where you’ll see it has all twelve signatures.”

Professor Dumbledore unrolled it.

“It’s a dreadful thing but as governors, we can’t let you continue as Headmaster when you’re clearly not up to the task of keeping the students safe. By the time term finishes there’ll be no muggle-borns left and we simply cannot allow that.”

It was Fudge’s turn now to look worried, “No – Lucius you mustn’t – That can’t be.”

Mr. Malfoy sighed, “But unfortunately the power of appointment and suspensions of Hogwarts Headmasters lies with the governors. And we have spoken. All twelve of us have voted on it.”

“And how many did yeh have to threaten?” Hagrid roared with fear and anger.

Mr. Malfoy glanced at Hagrid and back at Fudge, “We’ll handle Hogwarts now. I believe you’re here to take him away?” He stepped back out of Hagrid’s hut, leaving the door open and expecting everyone to follow.

“But – ” Fudge’s lips were quivering.

“They’ve spoken, and, if I may leave some parting words: Although I must leave, my spirit remains as long as there are those who are loyal to me.” Professor Dumbledore’s eyes flickered over to their corner for a second, “For we must remember, help will always be given to those who ask for it. Now – ”

Mr. Malfoy clapped from outside, “Very poetic indeed. Remarkable. Now let’s end the sentiments and get on with our duties.”

Hagrid stood, “An’ I would jus’ like to say that, er, if they found spider interesting they should follow ‘em. Jus’ sayin that followin’ spiders could give much NEEDED answers.”

Fudge quickly nodded, as if paying respects to Hagrid’s last sentiments.

“Oh an’ Fluffy eats two meals a day,” Hagrid nodded and walked out followed by Professor Dumbledore and Fudge.

The second the door closed they pulled the cloak off and ran to the window to watch all four men exit the grounds. They sat down at the table and looked at each other.

Heather comforted Fang as he whined and howled, “This is bad…”

As summer approached, the buds bloomed into flowers, covering the green grounds in spots of reds and yellows. It was almost jarring, stepping outside to find everything so peaceful and nice when everything inside was so horribly scary.

Hagrid had not returned yet, and neither had Professor Dumbledore. Heather, Ron, and Harry weren’t even allowed to visit Hermione anymore. Everyone was quiet and tense inside the castle, and no amount of jokes or pranks could pull people out of the pool of fear that seemed to drown the school.

Worse yet, there were no spiders anywhere inside the school, which left Harry to obsessively repeat Professor Dumbledore’s last words to himself and to them over and over hoping for the words to magically click in his brain. They couldn’t even search thoroughly with teachers shepherding them from classroom to classroom, always keeping a vigilant eye.

During Wednesday’s study hall, they got together and attempted planning on how they would find spiders in Hogwarts.

“We’ll just take the cloak and the three of us – ”

“Harry, we’ll get caught. There’s too many people patrolling.”

“Then one at a time we’ll take the cloak to be more silent – ”

“And what are you going to do if you get petrified under the cloak? You’ll be an invisible statue forever if we don’t find you.”

Ron nodded, “And I don’t want to be the one to explain why you’re missing to McGonagall or Snape.”

Harry pushed his papers aside and drummed on the table, “How are the spiders even supposed to give us answers?”

“Maybe they’ll spell it out for us?”

Ron gagged, “Can we focus on the other thing? What about what Dumbledore said?”

“He’ll be here if we’re loyal to him? And speak up about needing help?” Harry let his head drop to the table, “I don’t know what it means!”

“Are you crying, Potter?” Malfoy yelled from across the room at Harry.

Several Slytherins laughed and pointed but Harry kept his head down.

“He’s been real chipper these last two weeks,” Ron grumbled. “Makes me want to hex that smile right off his face.”

Harry lifted his head, “He thinks he’s king of the school ever since Dumbledore left… Heather?”

“Yes?”

“Do you think… maybe he knows something? Why don’t you find out how he could possibly be so happy when all that’s changed is Dumbledore is gone. His dad must have told him something. Maybe Dumbledore left another clue for us and – ”

“Dumbledore’s mad but not enough to leave a clue with Malfoy’s dad thinking he’d tell his son who would eventually blab about it to the whole school, Harry.”

Ron had a point but she needed to help Harry focus on something other than those two clues they couldn’t figure out, “Good idea Harry, I’ll find something out. He receives letters from his father every week so I’m sure he’ll know something we don’t.”

Ron raised his eyebrow at her but she ignored him, going back to the essays they should be getting done. She’d get answers tonight and by breakfast tomorrow Harry will have something else to think about. She only hoped Hermione will be depetrified soon enough to help her figure out what on earth Professor Dumbledore was hinting at.

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	17. Follow The Spiders

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“Well? Did you find anything out?” Harry moved over to give Heather room at the Gryffindor table.

The night before she hadn’t been able to get Draco alone or even steer any conversation towards why he had been so happy lately. She shook her head and spooned some porridge into her mouth.

“He’s just happy, Harry. His dad got to show just how powerful he was and now he thinks he owns the school,” Ron wiped oatmeal off his chin and got up. “I hate to say it but let’s head down to potions early. I can’t stand being around all these sad faces… or Malfoy’s happy one.”

They left the great hall and headed down, not really talking about much. The leaned against the wall and began their thirty-minute wait.

Ten minutes in, Harry turned to Heather, “Partner with Malfoy.”

She looked at him like he’d gone mad, “What?”

“You’ve been doing it alone with Hermione gone. Partner with Malfoy today and find out ANYTHING. We need another clue. We need it.”

Heather sighed and groaned and shook her head, but she knew if she didn’t do it her brother would go crazy and do something so unbelievably foolish, she’d regret it. “Fine.”

It was settled, and when Professor Snape let them all in, she followed Draco to his seat, pushing out another Slytherin boy from his usual spot and partner.

“Potter, what do you think you’re doing?”

Heather restrained herself from rolling her eyes or running back to her seat, “I thought that, erm, we could work together… on this… potion.” She wanted to spit the foul taste in her mouth out but kept up her strained grin.

“Pathetic, you can’t even last a few potion classes without Granger,” he sneered. “But since you’ve come to me for help, how can I turn down a fellow Slytherin.” He leaned in, “but you’ll owe me for my troubles.”

Heather swallowed and turned to Harry who gave her the smallest nod. She turned back to Malfoy, “Thanks.”

The first hour of instruction wasn’t so bad, it was even less annoying than sitting with Hermione. It was normally very distracting feeling Hermione waving her arm in the air and making sighs and groans whenever Professor Snape called on anyone but her.

When Professor Snape asked the class questions, she and Draco both raised their arms and although it was Draco who was called on the most, she was surprised to find that when Professor Snape wasn’t avoiding her side of the room, she was actually called on. She made a mental note to talk to Hermione about that but knew it’d be no use.

They started brewing in silence, both knowing exactly what to do and when to do it. She thought he’d be pestering her all class long but to her surprise, as long as she did things correctly, he didn’t even look up at her.

Professor Snape eyed their potion steadily and she realized he didn’t know whether to loudly praise and compliment Draco’s work or ignore the perfection of it like he always did with her. He settled for a nod and walked away. She smirked, hearing Draco’s quiet grumbles.

They were done with the difficult steps and so she used their freed-up attention to start her round of questions.

“You’ve seen extra pleased with school as of late,” she glanced at him and saw his smile was back on his face.

“Dumbledore’s gone. Everyone should be pleased.”

She nodded, “What’s your father think of it, though. I mean he’s a governor and the school has no Headmaster. Only a deputy Headmistress, which I suppose works just as well…”

Draco scoffed, “McGonagall won’t last long. And my Father is pleased. Especially considering HE was the one who got rid of him.” He turned to Crabbe and Goyle who were working right next to them, “I always knew he’d get it done, didn’t I?” He turned back and continued, not caring about how loud he was talking now, “I think the school’s got a decent chance for a better Headmaster now. And I’m sure the next one won’t WANT the chamber closed.”

Heather turned to Harry to express her concern when she spotted Professor Snape eyeing her closely. She gulped and turned back, hoping he couldn’t tell she was trying to get Draco talking about it. The last thing they needed was him thinking they were up to something.

Draco must have also spotted Professor Snape looking in their direction because he decided to rope him into the conversation, “Sir, I think YOU should be the one to fill in as Headmaster. Sir, if you applied, I’m sure the governors would more than approve and I’ll personally tell Father that you’re the best teacher here.”

Heather turned back to him and saw Professor Snape couldn’t suppress the smallest of smiles, although he was trying.

“Professor Dumbledore has only been suspended, not removed. I suggest you not… get ahead of yourself, Malfoy.” Professor Snape went back to checking cauldrons.

“Thank Merlin,” a Gryffindor whisper was heard across the room.

Malfoy stood up and looked around, “I think it’s plain to see that Professor Snape would make a better Headmaster in one week than Dumbledore has in two years.”

Seamus pretended to vomit into his cauldron, making several Gryffindors laugh. Professor Snape was about to yell at them to quiet down when Draco continued, demanding people on his side.

“Raise your hand if you think Professor Snape would make a better Headmaster.”

Heather raised her hand along with the rest of the Slytherins, causing Professor Snape to smirk. She didn’t always agree with the things Professor Snape did, but she felt the same about Professor Dumbledore. She did know, however, that even though Harry and Ron hated potions, they received high marks. And no one ever missed an essay assignment from Professor Snape. And she was absolutely sure he would have NEVER hired Lockhart as a defense teacher when it was so obvious he didn’t know anything.

“Heather,” Harry hissed at her from across the room.

Hear cheeks went red, “Objectively.”

“Back to your potions before I start taking away points – even – to Slytherins,” Professor Snape took out the normal vile storage and placed it on his desk, ready to collect the finished results.

Heather and Draco finished and each turned in their own vial, minutes before the bells rang. Everyone started packing and something about the way the Draco was eyeing Seamus she knew something was about to happen. She headed over to Harry and Ron quickly just in case. The bells rang and the commotion in the classroom started.

“You know, I’m surprised how many Mudbloods have stayed in school,” Malfoy swung his bag over his shoulder.

The Gryffindors were glaring at him and several Slytherins slowed down their pace as well, waiting to hear more.

Draco walked closer to the Gryffindors, “I’ll bet anyone the next Mudblood attacked dies.” He turned to Harry, Ron, and Heather and whispered, “Too bad it couldn’t be Granger.”

Ron was on him within seconds. Harry and her held him back while he struggled under their grip to land just one punch. Malfoy laughed and backed into the Slytherin group waiting by the doors.

“Let me go! I won’t use my wand… Just my hands!”

Professor Snape slammed a book on his desk and crossed the room to the door, “Stop wasting my time. I need to walk you all to your next classes.”

Professor Snape marched them all down to Herbology to drop off the Gryffindors – Ron had been trying to get loose and punch Malfoy the whole walk – and then took the Slytherins up to study hall. Heather avoided Malfoy who found it hilarious that she was so bothered.

Professor Snape waited at the doors to make sure every Slytherin had stepped inside the great hall. He held Malfoy up, “No more of that talk, Malfoy.”

Heather snickered from behind, knowing Malfoy was probably crushed even his favorite teacher thought he had been annoying. Malfoy turned to her and scoffed before walking in. Pansy, who had been behind them too, put her hand on Malfoy’s arm and dragged him away to sit next to her, telling him how respectable it was that he hadn’t backed down earlier.

After study hall, the Slytherins were escorted to their Defense Against the Dark Arts class and met up with the Gryffindors halfway. She had quickly run over to Ron and Harry, thinking she still had to break them up but realized there was something more pressing on their minds.

They took their seats in the back of the class and Heather propped up her book so she could lean towards Harry without getting spotted by Lockhart. “Harry, what’s wrong?” she pulled on his robe to get his attention.

“We found some spiders,” Harry hesitated and looked around. “We found them heading into the forbidden forest.”

Heather shut her eyes and screamed mentally. Of course the spiders were heading into the forbidden forest, what about this year made her think anything would be easy? Hagrid was gone but that would not stop Harry from running in there trying to solve one of the clues. She opened her eyes and turned to Ron who was looking pale and sweating.

“We can’t go into the forbidden forest, Harry. Last time you went in there Hagrid was with you,” she shook his head at him. “You’re no use to Hagrid or Hermione if you die in there.”

He frowned, “We’re not gonna die in there. We’ll take Fang. He knows his way around the forest, he goes in with Hagrid all the time.”

“We? Aren’t there WEREWOLVES in there? They’re worse than wolves! They’ll turn us!” Ron flattened his hair and dragged his hands down, “And we’ll run into ALL the spiders who ran away to there!”

“It’s the only way.”

Heather very much doubted that but there was no point in telling him so. She knew Harry and there was nothing stopping him from going in. They either joined him or they’d sit around worried about him after finding out he went in without them. At least she thought she was smart enough to minimize the danger for him. She’d just read up on spells again… maybe some against spiders and werewolves is a good start.

Lockhart stepped out of his office and closed the door with a bump of his hip. He smiled at all of them as he descended the stairs and hopped onto his desk, crossing his legs. “Why does everyone still look so sad? The culprit is behind bars and the danger has left the castle.”

A Gryffindor in the back with them scoffed, “And who’s told you that? Because my Mum says it’s just another Ministry cover-up – ”

Lockhart laughed, “The Ministry of Magic wouldn’t have taken Hagrid and imprisoned him in Azkaban if they didn’t know FOR A FACT that he was the one responsible for every single attack.” He blinked his eyelids several times at him, as if waiting for his sound logic to be debunked.

“Yeah. They Would.”

Everyone turned to Ron next, but he didn’t go on.

Lockhart licked his lips and jumped off his desk, “I HATE to embarrass you like this, but I DO know more about Hagrid’s Arrest than you, Mr. Weasley.” He walked to the center of the room slowly, smiling, and turning to look at everyone, “I do have connections that keep me very well informed, being who I am.”

Ron was about to answer back, but Heather feared he’d over share and pinched his arm. He Jumped and turned to her, shaking her head at him, and frowned. He sat back and slouched in his seat, folding his arms at his chest and huffing.

For the rest of class, Lockhart sported the same attitude. He made very certain to express how he had known all along Hagrid was the one just by the way he talked, like he was hinting at it, unable to keep it to himself. Lockhart had also said how he was able to pick up on it, unlike the other teachers, from past experiences dealing with menaces and how they would always slip up and boast about their crime for the fame.

Heather was disgusted and knew half the class was as well. There were others who knew Hagrid almost as well as they did, and all the others at least knew all he did for the school. If Lockhart couldn’t pick up on how much the class hated him, then she doubted he’d be able to pick up on anything beside what direction the wind blew in a wind storm as it knocked him to the ground.

Harry passed a note to her, ‘Tonight. 1am’, and she passed it to Ron. He looked at the empty seat where Hermione normally sat and looked back, nodding. It was settled then, she needed to learn as many spells as possible before they headed into the Forbidden Forest on their own.

As usual, the time rolled around, and Harry was nowhere to be heard. The Slytherin common room was empty and she was sat by the door, waiting for the knocks. She tossed her wand and said the spells in her head, careful not to think it when the wand was in her hand, just in case.

She heard the knocks and stood up. She walked out and slid under the cloak, grumbling about how late they were. They gave her the normal “Fred and George” excuse and started up the stairs and down the corridor to the other side of the castle.

There were just as many teachers out as before and they did their best to stay quiet. They took the other way around to the front doors and held their breaths passed Professor Snape. They unlocked the door and opened it just enough to squeeze through.

They walked carefully down the lawn and towards Hagrid’s hut, hearing Fang whine before they opened the door and called him back as he ran around in the dark. Heather hung up their cloak on some hooks and followed the sound of hushed voices. They took Fang by the collar and walking up to the forest, hesitating before entering.

“How will we see the spiders? What if they aren’t even here anymore! M-maybe they weren’t walking towards here… and only looked like it.”

Heather turned to Harry, “Did you or didn’t you see spiders marching in this direction?”

“I did.”

Heather groaned. She hated spiders and hated this idea almost as much. “Then let’s go in already…”

Harry took the lead and the rest of them followed, even a very nervous looking Fang, which in Heather’s opinion wasn’t a good sign. They cast Lumos – except for Ron – and kept their eyes on the ground for any spiders.

It only took a few minutes to find a line of spiders and followed them for half an hour, trying not to knock their heads on low hanging branches. They had been following a clear path for that half hour, when they realized the trees had gotten denser and the sky overhead was no longer visible. The spiders hopped off the path and continued leading them into the deep woods.

For another half hour they walked, crouching low to keep an eye on the spiders as they walked under roots and leaves. Fang scampered behind them, sniffing and licking, occasionally lifting his leg on bushes.

“Wait, where did they go?” Harry scanned their surrounding area with his wand light.

“You’ve LOST them?” Ron inched closer to them, “Did they run? Should we?”

Heather held up her wand and whispered, “Leviaranis” and a leaf several feet ahead of them moved up. “There. They must be up there.”

They moved forward and sure enough, the trail of spiders was there, still marching along.

“What spell was that?”

Heather shrugged, “Found it in a book of spells for houses. It lifts spiders so you don’t have to touch them if they’re far away, like on a high ceiling or something.”

Ron nodded, “Impressive.”

The ground bellow them started to slope down and became tricky to navigate with all the roots and branches. They made it down into a clearing when the spiders scattered in all directions, leaving them stranded.

“Harry what now?” she gripped his arm.

She heard Ron whimper behind her and felt Fang cowering behind her legs. There was a loud bark behind them, sending them all jumping away from Fang.

“Shhhh!” Ron held Fang close to him, “Harry!”

Harry was looking straight ahead, “I think there’s… Something’s moving…” he pointed into the darkness.

Heather pulled him back and they all stood huddled together, waiting, as the rumbling grew. The noise stopped suddenly, and a bright light shined ahead of them. They heard crunching and crashing as the light came closer. They squinted and turned away, shielding their eyes, until they heard a loud crash and turned back.

“Dad’s car!” Ron ran up to the car and hugged it.

“It’s back…” Heather looked through the windows to see branches and leaves on the seats.

Harry and Ron put their wands away since the forest was being illuminated by the headlights, but she felt they should keep them out. Even Ron’s wand could be useful in an emergency.

“We have the car now, let’s keep looking for the spiders,” Harry waved them forward.

Heather walked forward and turned, wondering what Ron was doing. He was squinting at something behind them, tilting his head, when his eyes went wide. She walked forward again, watching his expressing go from surprised to terrified, and gripped her wand tight.

She heard Harry yelp behind her and felt something grip her stomach and lift her upside down. She screamed and closed her eyes, feeling her hair completely stretched out bellow her as she hung. She opened her eyes and looked at Harry and Ron hanging upside down with her, and worse, she looked at the long hairy things seizing them around their middle.

She followed the things that had them in their clutches to see it was three enormous spiders, thick and harry and huge, carrying them through the forest into a clearing. If she wasn’t scared before, she was now. There were no trees and the moon’s light illuminated the horrendous scene of what looked like a sea of scurrying spiders.

She wanted to gag but focused on Harry. There was clicking all around and the ground bellow them cleared of all spiders. The three giant ones dropped them and they fell to the hard ground, groaning. Heather jumped up and check her area for any spiders, wiping her body over and over just in case one had crawled on her.

“Harry,” she whispered and clung to his arm, feeling hot tears escape her eyes.

“Aragog!” one of the giant spiders called. “Aragog!”

An even bigger spider, the size of a house, crawled out of a giant silvery web. Its eyes were white, and she realized it was blind, as it searched for the voice of the spider who called it.

“What is it,” Aragog roared.

“Men,” the giant spider spat out the word like a bad taste.

“Hagrid?” Aragog came closer.

Harry stepped forward, “We’re friends of Hagrid! He sent us!”

“Hargid knows not to send men into our hollow,” Aragog searched with his white eyes.

“He’s in trouble. Huge trouble!”

“Why did he not come himself? Why send strangers?”

Harry took a deep breath, “They’ve taken him away… To Azkaban. Because of the attacks on students by a monster.”

Aragog clicked his pincers furiously at the other spiders who clicked back. “Can’t be. It’s been years since that girl died. That I left. They thought I was the monster that dwelled in the chamber and blamed Hagrid. Expelled him.”

“Y-you’re not the monster, then?”

Aragog looked at Harry and came closer, “I. Am. NOT. The monster. I was given to Hagrid as an egg. He protected me, raised me, and when they found out about me, they drove me out. Hagrid found me and took me here to live and eventually found me a wife and now my family has grown. Out of respect for Hagrid we do not invade the grounds.”

Harry looked at Heather but she was too terrified to help him come up with more questions to ask. He nodded, “Then… do you know what killed the girl? Or where the chamber is? We can stop the monster from attacking anymore students if you tell us.”

Heather looked around at the spiders shifting closer to them and squeezed his arm tighter.

Aragog shook his head slowly, “I never left the cupboard in which I was raised. I never even stepped foot in the bathroom she was killed in. I know nothing of where it lives. And if I did, I wouldn’t have gone near. We spiders fear that ancient creature.”

“What is it? Tell us! Please!” Harry pressed forward but Heather stopped him.

The crowd of spiders were pressing closer and closer around them.

“I will not speak its name,” Aragog backed away as the spiders closed in.

Harry swallowed, “That’s fine. W-we’ll j-just go.”

Aragog laughed, “We do not eat Hagrid… but ‘friends of Hagrid’ I cannot deny my children.”

Heather turned in all directions as the sea of spiders threatened to crash onto them like an ocean wave. They pressed their back to each other and held their wands out, knowing it would be no use. There were too many all around.

There was a loud horn that sounded, getting closer. They looked in the direction and saw Mr. Weasley’s car come crashing in once again, blinding them all. It sped down the slope, knocking spiders aside, and screeched to a halt in front of them. They ripped the doors open and flung themselves in, greeted by Fang who was already inside.

The car revved and sped out of the spider’s den. Trees whipped passed them so fast it felt like only five minutes had passed when they reached the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Fang scratched at the door, yelping and whining, until the doors flew open. He leapt out and ran back to Hagrid’s hut.

Harry opened the doors for them but Heather and Ron needed a moment to regain the feeling in their body. They shuffled out of the car and closed the door, still silently regretting the night. Heather wiped her tears and Ron bent over, gaging but not throwing up.

The car started its engine and backed away back into the forest and disappeared. Harry waved it goodbye and the three of them made their way to Hagrid’s hut. Harry went in for the cloak and next to Heather Ron started to get very sick all over the smaller pumpkins in the pumpkin patch.

She pat his back and let him lean on her as Harry came back with the cloak, “Let’s never do this again.”

Ron nodded, “Hagrid’s lucky we came out of there alive. If we had died, I’d’ve haunted him.”

Harry draped the cloak over them, “He thought we wouldn’t be attacked if we were his friends.”

“He always underestimates beasts. If we had let him keep Norbert, it would have burnt the school to the ground and us along with it.”

They started walking back very slowly.

“Ron has a point.”

“Of course I do.”

Harry shook his head, “Well it doesn’t matter. We found out Hagrid’s innocent and that he never even opened the chamber.”

Heather coughed, “Actually. We found out we have no clue who the heir is. Not then and not now.”

Ron groaned, either about his stomach or about Heather’s words. They quieted him and made their way inside, closing the door, and headed down into the dungeons. She stepped out of the cloak and opened the Slytherin common room door, heading inside.

She crept into her dorm and took out her art journal, scratching out everything about Hagrid and underlining all the old clues about the heir. “We’re back to square one,” she whispered. She looked at her notes and stopped at the ones about the girl who had died. “…’stepped foot in the bathroom she was killed in’…” Heather smacked her forehead and wanted to run into Gryffindor tower yelling about their next clue.

Myrtle was their next clue. Myrtle might have seen what killed her. Heather smiled and wrote things down, not wanting to forget. At breakfast she would finally have some good news for Harry and some hope for catching whoever petrified their best friend.

#  **~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~**


	18. The Basilisk Strikes

#  **~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~**

It shouldn’t have been that much of a surprise to Heather that Harry had come to the same conclusion as her about Myrtle. She had sat down between him and Ron for breakfast and had immediately been pulled closer and told in excited whispers that they had found their next clue. As they were led to class, their excitement turned to frustration.

“We should have asked her when she died,” she shook her head with the same annoyance Ron had about it.

“She was literally floating in our faces. What if she knows who the heir is! We could have had this thing solved ages ago!”

Harry hushed them as they walked into transfigurations, “We need to find a way to see her. The only problem is all the teachers following the students around everywhere.”

Professor McGonagall closed the door behind them and called for their attention as everyone took their seats.

“End of term exams will be taken on June first, and I expect that you all have been studying for them,” she walked to the front of the class.

There was a series of groans and complaints from several students, but it was the Gryffindors who dared challenge her.

“Should we really be getting exams after everything that’s going on?”

Professor McGonagall frowned, “The whole POINT of keeping this school running is to provide students with their education and not hold anyone back a year. That is why Professor Dumbledore wanted the school to remain open during this time.” The room was silent now as she continued, “I expect everyone to study hard for the exams that will take place as usual.”

Harry and Ron turned to Heather with horrified expressions. It had just dawned on Heather that without Hermione, they had likely gotten absolutely no studying done on their own time. Heather smacked her hands to her head and sighed. She would absolutely make Harry pay if he ended up getting held back a year.

Actually, she had no idea how Hermione would do with being petrified and all. Would she get held back? Should they all get held back so they could join her? She thought about that for a few seconds and decided there was no way she would ever agree to being held back just to be near her friends… not with Draco and Pansy around ready to laugh at her with any mistake.

“Ok, we need to focus on you two passing,” she whispered as they prepared to turn their rabbits into slippers. “I have no doubt Hermione already knows enough to pass regardless of how long she’s been petrified. So we forget about Myrtle, just for now.”

To her surprise Harry and Ron nodded in agreement.

“But don’t you need Hermione’s help with transfigurations too?” Harry watched her wave and shake her wand at the rabbits.

One of them turned into a wiggly slipper and she frowned, “No.” She managed to turn the other rabbit into a slipper finally, “Not ALWAYS.”

The slipper she had thought turned out ok suddenly kicked off her desk and ducked under Professor McGonagall’s robes. Harry and Ron exchanged concerned looks but kept quiet as Heather focused for the rest of class.

All that week they had studied as hard as Heather could make them, letting Ron even borrow her wand on the off chance he would be allowed to borrow one for the exams. Although questioning Myrtle remained on their minds, they managed to get through the week without mentioning her or the monster.

During breakfast a few days before the exams, professor McGonagall had stood at Professor Dumbledore’s podium to make an announcement.

She quieted everyone down and cleared her throat, “I have some good news – ”

Immediately people started shouting and hooting, thinking Professor Dumbledore was back. Heather rolled her eyes, thinking he obviously wasn’t if Professor McGonagall was still up there on the podium instead of him.

After a few seconds people had caught on that the good news wasn’t that and continued shouting things like “The heir has been caught!” and even Wood had yelled “Quidditch is back on!”.

“The Mandrakes are ready to be cut and used for Professor Snape’s potion, which means that sometime tonight, your petrified classmates will be back in their common rooms,” she smiled as people cheered and added, “And we hope one of them saw who or what it is that attacked them.”

“Hermione will be back!” Ron shook her happily.

“We might not even have to ask Myrtle then,” Harry said hopefully.

The three of them noticed Draco at once, who looked miserable, poking at his food with his fork. Heather rolled her eyes and continued enjoying breakfast when Ginny sat down next to them. She looked tired and was rocking back and forth in her chair, keeping her lips pressed tight.

“What is it?” Ron gave her a shake and looked at them when she didn’t respond.

Ginny was looking around for a while before she leaned in and whispered, “I need to… There’s something…”

Heather took her hand, “Ginny? Are you ok?”

Harry leaned closer, “Have you heard something? In the walls? Have you seen someone?”

She took a deep, trembling breath and pulled on her robes, finally deciding on something. She opened her mouth but before she could say anything, Percy walked over.

“Hope you guys aren’t planning anything or I’ll tell Mum,” he sat down next to Ginny. “I’ve just got done with my patrol shift and I have another tonight. If anyone’s planning anything I’ll make sure Mum gives all of you the proper punishments.”

Ginny’s eyes widened and she was off, fast walking down the great hall to the end of the Gryffindor table and out of view. Ron scoffed at him and stood up with them. They walked down after Ginny but bumped into Fred and George halfway down.

“Move, we need to talk to Ginny. She needs to tell us something important.”

Fred and George looked at each other and back at Ron, rubbing their hands together and chuckled.

“She told us,” Fred leaned forward and whispered to them, “Mum’s gonna freak!”

Ron, Harry, and Heather looked at each other confused.

“And we’ve got something planned about it for tonight – don’t tell Percy,” George glanced behind them at where Percy was seated eating.

Harry nodded, “So, it’s got nothing to do with the Chamber of Secrets or the Slytherin heir?”

Fred and George laughed and said, “Nothing to do with that.”

Fred and George settled their stomachs, but Heather still had a weird feeling about it. She voiced her concern to Harry and he agreed it wasn’t wise to pass up any opportunity to talk to Myrtle. Ron sighed, still thinking Hermione would solve it all when she woke but agreed to go should the opportunity arise.

Luckily for them they had Defense classes with Lockhart that day and it was his duty to take them all down to History of Magic. They made sure to walk behind everyone else next to Lockhart, thinking they could get him to leave before they all got through the history classroom door.

He had been talking the whole way about how annoying it was to have to be marching them all down when the culprit had already been caught.

“I mean, it’s not like Hagrid’s going to escape Azkaban. No wizard has ever been able to, let alone that massive man,” he laughed.

They all laughed as best they could with him.

Lockhart seemed to take to their company easily and continued complaining, “Professor McGonagall is a smart woman, but I personally can’t get behind all these nonsense security measures.”

“It must take up a lot of your time,” Harry said, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.

“So much time – And, what is it we teachers can do against a killer beast anyways?”

Ron nodded, “Too true. I mean, are we really going to all get attacked between here and our next class? It’s – what? A corridor away?”

Lockhart nodded, “Yes, short distance really.”

“I think we can manage walking on our own the rest of the way without taking up your precious time as a teacher,” Harry looked up at him.

Lockhart nodded again, “You’re right. I think this is far enough, your class is a few feet away.”

They kept walking for a bit after he left until they were sure he had turned a corner and wouldn’t be able to see them turn around and walk back towards the stairs. They made sure all their classmates had headed inside the class and bolted towards Myrtle’s bathroom.

They turned a corner and were stopped in their tracks by some invisible force, gluing their shoes to the stone floor. Heather tried pulling her leg free but couldn’t, not without losing her shoe. They heard footsteps coming towards them and gulped, turning as Professor McGonagall came into view with her hands to her hips.

“Potters! Weasley! I cannot believe – Actually yes I can believe that you three have managed to wander about the castle unsupervised,” she shook her head and crossed her arms angrily. “Explain yourselves!”

Ron stammered but Harry quickly regained himself, “We thought we’d go see Hermione to t-tell her everything would be ok and – and that the Mandrakes were already getting turned into a potion.”

Professor McGonagall looked at each of them and saw Heather’s red eyes. Whenever she got yelled at they got red and puffy from trying to hold her emotions in, but for once she thought it was a good thing as Professor McGonagall’s expression softened just then.

“I understand how hard it must be for you three. I’ll take you there myself,” she released them and motioned for them to lead the way.

They looked at each other and walked to the hospital wing. Professor McGonagall opened the door for them and told Madam Pomfrey they had permission and left. Madam Pomfrey rolled her eyes and led them towards Hermione, telling them there wasn’t a point to it. They sat down beside her and waited for Madam Pomfrey to leave before talking among themselves.

“I can’t believe we aren’t being expelled for wandering around the castle – I mean… we could have been attacked!” Heather huffed.

“Whose side are you on?” Ron rolled his eyes at her, “Harry, good job.”

Harry nodded but was looking at Hermione’s hand, “Look.”

Ron looked down at her hand and pulled out what looked like a torn part of a book page.

Harry snatched it quickly and flattened it out on the table, “something about ‘fearsome beasts’… ‘Basilisk… King of Serpents… live hundreds of years’ – ”

Heather took it from him and read it all and gasped, “Hermione thinks the monster is a basilisk! It says ‘spiders flee before the basilisk’ and it has a murderous stare and ‘all who are fixed with the beam of its eye shall suffer instant death’!”

Ron looked around, as if the monster was lurking just around the corner, “But… no one has died yet. They’ve all been petrified. Only Myrtle is dead.”

Heather nodded, “Then Myrtle must have looked into its eyes while none of the others have… Hermione must have been holding the mirror! That’s why her arm’s out like that! If you don’t look directly at it, then it only petrifies you.”

“What’s written at the bottom? ‘Pipes’? …Its moving around through the pipes!” Harry shut his mouth quickly and looked around for Madam Pomfrey.

“It says the crowing of a rooster is fatal to it! We can get a rooster form Hagrid – ”

“They’re all dead…” Ron reminded them, “They were all killed last term, remember?”

They all nodded.

Harry leaned forward and whispered, “It’s using the plumbing to move around… what if…”

“The entrance to the chamber is in Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom?” Ron looked at Heather for confirmation; she nodded.

“The heir really is a parselmouth,” Harry whispered, “Like me.”

Heather stood up suddenly, “We need to get this information to Professor McGonagall as soon as possible. They’ll be able to do more than we can.”

“To the staffroom then. It’s nearly break,” Harry put the paper in his pocket and led them out.

They paced the staffroom, waiting and waiting for the bell to ring but it didn’t. They looked at the time and at each other, knowing they should be hearing it. Harry looked as worried as she felt. Things may change in Hogwarts every hour of every day, but the bells had always rung since they first stepped foot inside the castle.

They heard Professor McGonagall’s voice echoing through the corridor outside, “Students are to return to their dormitories immediately. Teachers return to the staffroom after dropping off all students.”

“Hide!” Heather pulled them away from the door.

They ducked into a large wardrobe just as the doors opened and a professor walked in. Within minutes more filtered in, taking their seats with their wands out, looking scared. Soon the Heads of Houses arrived and took their spots near the fireplace, waiting for Professor McGonagall. She finally entered and all eyes were on her.

Ron elbowed her to get a better look and she pushed his head down, refusing to give up any visibility of the situation. She saw Professor McGonagall take a deep breath before she spoke to the quiet room of worried faces.

“A student has been taken into the Chamber.”

Professor Flitwick jumped out of his seat in shock. Professor Sprout gasped and shook her head, clearly very disturbed by the news. Professor Snape even looked troubled, gripping the chair closest him and sitting down.

“H-how do you know?” Professor Snape’s voice was quiet.

“We have been left another message by the heir,” she said, “Right under their last… ‘Her skeleton will lie in the chamber forever.’”

There was sniffling and cries throughout the group of professors, all upset about the loss of one of their students. Heather felt tears running down her cheeks, wondering if she knew the girl that had been taken.

Madam Hooch stepped forward, wiping tears, “Who did they take?”

Professor McGonagall looked down at the space before them, “Ginny Weasley has been taken.”

Heather gasped and looked down at Ron who had gone very still suddenly. She knelt down next to him and saw he had his mouth held open in shock. She placed her hand on his shoulder, but he did not stir, only looked on. She heard Professor McGonagall go on.

“We will be sending students home tomorrow morning as soon as possible. We cannot risk another student going missing. All staff are to patrol the corridors outside the houses and Heads of Houses will keep watch inside the common rooms. We cannot take any risks, so I’m afraid it will be a long night for us all. I will send for the Ministry immediate – ”

Just then there was a bang and Heather jumped up to look through the wardrobe. Lockhart had just walked in, grinning and twirling his wand.

“Took a little nap and overslept,” he laughed, “Didn’t miss anything important, did I?”

Heather looked at all the silent teachers, staring a him. Professor Snape stood up and walked towards him.

“Now’s the time for your expertise, Lockhart. Ginny Weasley has been snatched up and taken into the Chamber by the monster – and as you’ve assured us MULTIPLE times… You know where… it is.”

Professor Snape’s words shot out of him like venom, although Lockhart must have been immune because he chuckled at his words. Professor Sprout wiped her eyes and joined Professor Snape.

“Of course. Gilderoy can bring her back. Save her from that horrible beast in that chamber.”

“And you know what the monster is,” Professor Flitwick sniffed, “You said so many times.”

Lockhart was shaking his head at them but before he could say anything Professor Snape took another menacing step forward, “I recall – perfectly – you saying that you could have dealt with the monster, had the Ministry not stepped in and taken Hagrid away.” He crept closer still, making Lockhart back away, “Well now’s the time to hunt it down and rescue the student like you’ve done in ALL your textbook adventures you talk of.”

“It’s settled then, Lockhart. You’ll go and rescue Miss Weasley tonight and I shall call the papers to be ready to report on your incredible heroism in the morning,” Professor McGonagall looked at him with hatred in her eyes but her voice did not betray her.

“I do indeed, know exactly… where… it is. Yes! And I know what the monster is so yes, of course, I shall go and rescue small Jenny Weasley,” Lockhart back out of the room as quickly as he could.

Professor McGonagall turned to the staff, “Please go patrol and make sure no student has been left out.” She turned to the Heads of Houses, “Please inform your students of what has happened… and Severus,” she held him back as all the staff cleared out. “I imagine Miss Potter wishes to be with Mr. Weasley and her brother, so you may send her down with one of the professors.”

He nodded and they both headed out. Heather, Ron, and Harry broke out of the wardrobe, tripping over each other. They looked around and Ron crumpled to the floor, looking at them both with tears in his eyes.

Heather knelt down beside him, “Ron, Professor McGonagall said she was going to call the Ministry. They’ll send people to get her back in no time. Alright?”

Ron nodded and Harry helped him up. They walked out and turned a corner and were immediately spotted by a teacher. They were yelled at and separated and walked to their own houses. Heather entered hers and Professor Snape was instantly on her about where she had been.

She explained she had forgotten a book and was forced to return before grabbing it. He frowned but that was all he did about her rule breaking, instead telling her about Ginny. She nodded and did her best to act like she was hearing it for the first time.

“If you would like to be with your brother and Mr. Weasley – ”

She couldn’t take it any longer, “Myrtle is the one who died the last time the chamber was opened! Myrtle was killed by the monster which is actually a Basilisk!”

Professor Snape blinked at her, “How… did you find that out?”

She sighed, relieved he wasn’t brushing her away, “The basilisk has been using the plumbing in the walls to move around. We think Myrtle would know where the chamber is if we asked her.”

Professor Snape looked at the Slytherins sitting around the common room, reading or talking before turning back. “Stay put,” he left the room, cloak billowing behind him.

Heather fell back on a chair and waited, hoping she did the right thing. Whoever the heir was, she knew they were a parselmouth and Professor Snape was indeed not one. He looked almost horrified when Harry had spoken it during dueling, and they had never suspected him of being the heir or aiding them. Harry and Ron couldn’t get mad at her for this.

After twenty minutes Professor Snape was back and called her forward, “The Ministry has been owled with what you’ve told me – ”

Heather shook her head, “Professor, Myrtle – ”

He gave a frustrated sigh, “She doesn’t know anything, Potter. It seems that she was indeed killed by it, but there wasn’t much more she could tell me besides confirming what you had found out. Now. Are you going to go to your brother, or aren’t you?”

She crossed her arms, hating how powerless she felt, needing to depend on someone else to get information for her. She nodded and he escorted her out and towards a professor to take her up to Gryffindor tower.

She knocked and Professor McGonagall opened the door, allowing her in.

“You know this is only the second time in Hogwarts history that a House has welcomed a student belonging to a different House,” Professor McGonagall motioned towards the corner that Ron and Harry sat.

Heather looked at Percy who had heard, but was in too much of a state to correct Professor McGonagall. Not even Fred or George could bring themselves to poke fun at the falseness of her statement.

She sat next to Harry and Ron who were as quiet as the others. All of the Weasleys and them sat together, moping for several hours, until the evening sun had set and the candles were the only source of light, beside the fire on the other side of the room. Percy had left to his room first, and Fred and George were finally next, leaving the three of them alone.

“I told Professor Snape,” Heather broke the silence.

Ron didn’t give any sign that he had heard, but Harry had indeed.

“What? What did you say? Why? What happened?”

“I told him about Myrtle and he went and asked her… he said she confirmed my story but that was all. He sent an owl to the Ministry but… we know they already know, since the newspaper I looked at about it already said so.”

Harry nodded, “But… what did he ask her? And what exactly did she say?”

She scoffed, “Did you think we had a nice chat about it? I was lucky he didn’t just ignore me. He said what I told you.”

“Ginny knew something.”

They turned to Ron, who finally seemed awake.

“Fred and George said it was about Percy…” Harry shrugged, “Maybe it was a misunderstanding?”

Ron shook his head, “No. I know how Ginny gets. She wanted to tell us something that could have gotten her in trouble.”

“She did run when Percy said he’d tell your Mother,” she pointed out. “But what did he mean he hoped we weren’t planning anything tonight?”

“Fred and George were caught setting something up outside the hospital doors. They were brought in by another Professor with a banner that read ‘Percy Missed You’. Percy threw it in the fire and got really upset. He didn’t even want to sit with us,” Harry looked over at Ron. “What d’you think that was about?”

“Who cares. You know Percy is always boasting about Prefect duties but where was he when she got taken?”

Heather set her hand on his knee, “He wasn’t on patrol. And you know he must be just as upset about it as you…”

Ron nodded. “…But why was she taken? She was a pureblood…”

Harry banged his fists, “He must have missed something.”

“Who?”

“Snape! He probably didn’t even go to ask Myrtle, why would he? He hates us and you think he’d just go and do what you say?”

Heather gave him small nod, but she wasn’t fully convinced. “So what, Harry? We should go ask her on our own? Professor McGonagall is here in this room and she’s staying up all night. You Really think we’ll be able to get passed her? And what about the basilisk?”

“All the Heads of Houses are in their houses. So the heir can’t open the chamber tonight!” Ron shook Heather, “We can save Ginny and we’d be safe from the heir!”

She pushed his hands off her, “The heir sure. But they aren’t the problem. It’s the basilisk… but fine. I don’t think the heir can call on the basilisk tonight so we might be safe enough to go down and ask Myrtle ourselves.”

“We need Fred and George to distract McGonagall. Then we can get under my cloak and sneak out the portrait hole,” Harry stood up and pulled Ron up with him. “Ron tell your brothers that we have a clue. We need them to keep McGonagall’s back turned away from the door.”

Ron nodded and they both headed into the dormitories. She sat waiting and Harry soon came out, doing his best to hide the cloak. After a few more minutes, Ron came back with Fred and George at their heels, though they didn’t look any bit as hopeful as Heather thought they might.

“Professor?” Fred called Professor McGonagall over to him and George.

“When are the petrified students returning. I thought it was tonight.”

As soon as Professor McGonagall’s back was turned to them, they got up and flung the cloak over themselves. They walked carefully but quickly over to the hole in the wall and slipped out into the corridor, shutting the portrait carefully.

There were two teachers turned towards the corridor ahead of them and they knew that everyone was on high alert tonight. They were going to have to maneuver their way around all the teachers and reach Myrtle’s bathroom safely if they were to get any new lead on where the basilisk had taken Ginny.

“Let’s go,” Ron whispered.

#  **~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~**


	19. Into the Chamber

#  **~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~**

They made their way passed all the teachers like they had all the nights prior. The corridors beyond the doors of all the Houses were quiet and deserted, since all the teachers were focused on protecting the students and all the students were safely in their Houses.

They opened Myrtle’s bathroom and stepped in shutting it carefully and looking around both corners to make sure they were safe. Myrtle was in a stall crying and came out when she heard them enter. She floated down in front of them and crossed her arms.

“What is it this time? Would you also like to remind me of my death?” she hissed.

“He DID come down,” Heather whispered.

“Yes, please tell us, anything you can. Anything about the monster or something about where the chamber is?”

She sat on the sink an crossed her legs as if she was about to go into her favorite dramatic story, “Oh I was just crying over there,” she pointed at her usual stall, “when some BOY came in.” She hopped down, “and so I told him to leave but next thing I knew I was staring into HIDEOUS yellow eyes and then – ” she looked down and gave a quiet whimper, “I DIED.”

Heather looked around where she pointed she saw the eyes, “You saw the eyes here?”

“No, higher. That’s where the boy was standing.”

Ron and Harry walked over and examined the area around but there was nothing that stood out to them. Everything was broken and scratched and chipped. Nothing looked like clues to her. Just a lot of rubbish and broken pipes.

“Look at that,” Harry pointed at some scratches on the tile floor. “Does that look like… like when there are scratches from moving something on the floor?”

They bent down and examined more, tracing the scratches back to a sink. They turned their attention to the sink in question and ran their fingers over its entire surface for a scratch or switch or button. Everything was smooth.

“Feel this,” Ron nudged Harry up to where his hand was moving over the back faucet.

Harry moved his hand over the back of the faucet and nodded, “Heather hand me a piece of glass.”

She looked around and gave him the biggest piece. He placed it on the broken mirror where there was none and they all gasped. The broken mirror piece was reflecting a tiny engraved snake on the back of the metal faucet.

“This must be it. The entrance. That snake marks the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets.”

“I don’t think anyone would have noticed that.”

“No one but the heir.”

The three of them looked at each other. The question now, was, what should they do about the new clue?

“We need to go tell our Heads of Houses!” Heather started to run out, but Harry held her back.

“Look, right now the heir is trapped in their House, unable to make a move. What do you think will happen if we go in and give ANY clue to us knowing where the Chamber is?”

Ron started pulling on the sink, “We need to go in ourselves! We need to get Ginny before that snake does anything!”

Heather was put in a terrible position. Harry was right, they could put themselves and Ginny in danger if the heir found out. Which meant the Heads of Houses couldn’t leave where they were, or they’d look suspicious. It also meant that they would have to go in themselves…

She nodded and the three of them tried pulling the sink out but it never budged.

“Well… Salazar was a parselmouth. The heir is a parselmouth… Harry what if parselmouths can only enter by speaking parseltongue,” she pointed at the snake. “Tell the snake to open the chamber or something.”

Harry nodded and wiped his brow, “Open up.”

Ron shook his head, “No that was – ”

“Well I can’t just bring it on… It only happens around snakes.” He took a deep breath and bent down close to the snake engraving.

Harry opened his mouth again but this time he let out a series of hisses. There was a deep churning noise and Heather pulled them back as the sink rose up out of its spot and slabs of stone came up out of the hole in the ground and positioned themselves as stone steps leading down into the darkness.

“Great,” Ron croaked.

She let them take the lead as they descended the stairs. She clutched her cloak close, wishing it were a jacket she could just wear and hide in. The deeper they went the darker it got to the point they both needed to use the strongest Lumos to watch their steps.

They were just getting used to their surroundings when Harry gave a yelp and disappeared along with his light, getting smaller and farther down into the darkness. Heather reached out for him, palming the wall trying to stay put, when Ron bumped into her, sending her tripping on what was apparently the last step.

She stuck her foot out but no step came. She yelped too and fell down what felt like giant metal pipes with twists and turns. She held her wand tight in her hand and after a few seconds of falling, she could see another light like hers in the distance.

Before she could stop screaming and call out to Harry, the pipe disappeared and she was shot out into the air, landing with a hard thud on the inch of water pooled over hard stone. She groaned and coughed, sitting finally and shaking off as much liquid as possible from her hair.

“Heather! Are you alright?”

Harry’s light came running towards her.

She held up her wand, “Yeah. I think so. Help me up.”

A minute later Ron came shooting out of the same pipe as them, knocking Harry over.

“I can’t believe I’m alive,” Ron coughed.

“I can’t believe you jumped in too. I would have run back to get someone,” Heather helped Harry up.

“We must be somewhere under the lake,” Harry held out his hand, feeling a droplet of water splash on his skin.

On they went, walking deeper into a much larger tunnel – large enough to fit two Hagrids, both with Hagrids sitting on their shoulders. For half an hour all they could hear was the sloshing of their shoes wading through the water, until the floor raised and every step turned into a crunch.

They pointed their wands down and saw the floor was littered with overgrown rat skulls and bones. Ron made a gagging noise that Harry quickly hushed.

“Any noise and any sign of movement remember to close your eyes quickly,” he reminded them.

“We should have brought our brooms.”

Ron nodded in agreement, but they went on, crunching as quietly as they could. Eventually the pipe stopped and before them were jagged rocks and cave walls. Heather felt panic and anxiety really start to set in. Everything about what they were doing felt like they were all walking right to their death.

“Harry,” she whispered.

He knew what she was thinking, “No. We have to press on.”

Harry shined his light to their right and illuminated a long piece of shriveled snake skin. They all stared silently at it and went on, not saying a word about it. Soon the rocky floor turned smooth and they were faced with an unfortunate decision.

The cave had turned back into a giant pipe, except for it split in two. There was a left one, and a right one, and neither looked any different from the other. They looked around for hints of snake – a scale, a tooth, more skin, anything – but there was not a single trace of it.

“What do we do?” Heather whispered.

“Should we split up?”

Both Ron and Heather looked to Harry, hoping he would have an idea that did not involve separating. He didn’t however. He paced silently for a moment and shook his head.

“Ginny has been in there for hours. We can’t keep her waiting any longer… Ron, your wand’s busted… So Heather you and I need to split up.”

Ron nodded, “I’ll go with Heather then.”

“No. I know more spells than Harry – more defensive spells – and I’ve actually been studying Lockhart’s defense textbooks – although they barely had anything worth knowing – but still… Ron you go with Harry, and help out any way you can… Whoever reaches the wrong end first, runs back and comes through the other… alright?”

Harry and Ron looked at her for a long while but nodded, knowing if it was anyone who stood a chance with dueling a giant snake, it would be her.

“Remember Harry, if you find it first… try talking to it… Hold it off until I find you. Then the three of us will deal with it… with what little spells we know…”

They split off and Heather set on, deeper into the left tunnel and soon the echoes of her feet where the only ones she could hear. She walked for what seemed like half an hour, noticing the pipe felt inclined, like she was walking up a low hill. She turned a corner and it had suddenly turned into a much steeper hill.

She debated turning back, but she knew just because it seemed to lead up to the surface, it didn’t mean she wasn’t going the right way. She climbed and climbed, careful not to slide backwards and fall all the way back down.

She was huffing and sweating but held her wand out, ready to hit any giant snake with everything she had… while closing her eyes. She pushed the panic down and willed herself forward, “For Ginny,” she kept muttering. “For Ginny, and all the Weasleys”

She was cold, and tired, hunched over and ready to crumble to the ground when she felt her footstep on an edge. She pushed her toes forward and felt a step. No. It was level ground she was standing on. She lifted her wand up and saw there was a circle of shimmering light above her. She looked around and saw the landing was small, with rocky walls around.

She put the wand in her mouth and held on tight to the jaggedly rocks on the wall, placing each foot on either side and lifting her body a foot off the ground. She let go of one hand and reached up, touching the shimmering lights. It felt cold and when she brought her hand down to inspect, she saw droplets on her fingertips.

It was water. The shimmering light was light reflecting off water… but what was water doing pooling on the ceiling? She climbed up a wall and stuck her arm up into the pool, feeling most of her arm submerged in cold water… except for hand. She felt waves crashing against her fingers.

She pulled her arm back down, shook it off, and climbed farther up, holding her breath as her head entered the water. She held it as she climbed until her head broke free out of the water. It was no longer pitch black, and she could see the moon and stars shimmering over the lake.

There was a rock right in front of her and she reached for it, climbing all the way out of the water. She was carful not to slip on the rock and stood, taking her wand out of her mouth. She looked around and couldn’t believe there was another entrance to the chamber, right on the edge of the lake, far opposite the castle.

The rock she stood on hardly poked out of the water, and was barely noticeable, especially considering behind her was the forest, and miles away in front was the castle. This was perhaps, an escape route, should the main entrance be found and destroyed.

She hit the top of her head, trying to think of what she should do. Harry and Ron must have found the real entrance… but she was already out and could go get real help. With Harry not there with her, to tell her to just keep going, her urge to involve others was too great. She knew she couldn’t handle a basilisk… which meant Harry couldn’t either. Not alone.

She held up her wand and yelled, “ACCIO BROOM!” hoping it would work. She looked towards the castle, squinting, until she saw the shadow of an object zooming towards her. She clapped, relieved to see her broom, and reached out to take it, mounting it, and touching off.

As she zoomed towards the castle, something played in her mind. So far they had solved every clue, except one. What did Professor Dumbledore mean by ‘my spirit remains as long as there are those who are loyal to me.’ She stared at the growing torch lights and whispered to herself, “‘my spirit remains’… ‘my spirit remains’… ‘my spirit – ’…” She remembered the meeting with Professor Dumbledore, “‘I see it in their spirit.’”

Her eyes widened and she looked up towards the tall tower where Professor Dumbledore’s office was. She flew to the castle doors, pushed them open, and flew to the gargoyle guarding the entrance to Professon Dumbledor’s office. She said the password and flew in, opening the door and looked right at Fawkes.

She touched down and ran to him, “Fawkes! Harry’s in trouble! Go get Dumbledore!”

The bird opened its eyes and screeched, stretching its wings. It flapped its wings and flew up to a tall shelf, snatched an old raggedy bag, and flew out the door and disappeared. Heather mounted her broom again and touched off, but before she flew out after it, she looked up at one of the highest windows. She flew up and looked at the metal lock and pulled it back with all her strength until the screw broke off. She pocketed the lock and exited the office.

She turned the corner and heard her last name yelled coming from one of the distant stairs. She turned and saw what looked like an army of teachers running towards her, led by Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape.

They must have realized they were missing, which meant if the heir was in either Slytherin or Gryffindor, then they knew they had gone after Ginny. She sped towards the furious professors and landed in front of them.

She didn’t let them catch their breath, “We found the chamber! We saw the Basilisk’s old skin! And Harry and Ron took the tunnel leading right for the monster!”

Everyone looked at her horrorstruck.

She ran to the stairs, “It’s this way!”

She led them to the second floor, down a long corridor, and into Myrtle’s bathroom.

She threw the door open and burst inside, scaring Myrtle out of the air.

“Sorry!” she yelled as she descended the stairs, thankful they hadn’t closed.

She turned on her wand light and heard Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall do the same. She made sure to take the stairs two at a time, pointing her light down until she saw the pit of darkness.

She sat down and called behind her, “Careful here! It’s a pipe leading down!”

She pushed off and fell down like before, except this time it felt faster after knowing what to expect. She shot out of the pipe and stood up quickly, not caring about the water since she was already soaked from the lake. She tapped her foot impatiently, hoping against all odds that Harry was still alive, and that Fawkes had somehow gotten Professor Dumbledore already.

Professor Snape came through first, followed by Professor McGonagall and somehow, neither hit the ground at all. Hovering over the water until they set their feet down to stand. She hopped on her broom and looked at them, “Keep heading straight, into a cave until you reach the two tunnels and take the right one!”

“Do NOT move.” Professor Snape held his wand out at her, “Potter, you are going to stay right here.”

Professor McGonagall marched forward, “We will bring your brother and Ron and Ginny back but you must – ”

She shot forward, ignoring their angry yells and listened to their echoing footsteps behind her. If she was going to get expelled, she was going to take Harry down with her, and for that, she needed Harry.

She flew faster than she had ever flown before, and dove into the right tunnel, holding out her wand to illuminate her way, until she reached a large flat stone wall with a thick round door that had already been opened.

She heard Ginny’s cries before she entered. There was a giant dead tube of flesh that she quickly realized was the giant basilisk. She slowly walked around it, following the sobs and spotted Harry helping Ginny to her feet. She threw the broom down and ran to him, hugging him and Ginny tight.

“Ron,” Harry pointed behind her.

She turned her head and saw Ron’s body, limp and thrown into the mouth of a giant snake statue as water dripped from its fangs. She ran over and climbed inside, shaking his shoulders roughly.

“Ron! Ron are you ok? Ron wake up!”

He squeezed his eyes and pushed her arms off, “Five more minutes,” he groaned.

She laughed and forced him up. They joined Harry and Ginny and the four of them walked out followed by Fawkes, who was circling them overhead, providing a bright light.

“What happened! Did the basilisk ever show up?” Ron was still rubbing his hand where his wand had exploded, clearly oblivious to the giant dead thing to their right.

“After you tried shooting at Riddle, he sent out the basilisk. I was just running from it until Fawkes came and scratched its eyes out. He brought me a sword – ”

“He what? I saw him take some brown thing – ”

“The sorting hat. The sword was inside the sorting hat – and so I fought it a bit with the sword… Then it stabbed me with its fang – don’t worry Fawkes healed me – and I stabbed the diary with the fang and killed Riddle.”

“Riddle?” Heather shook her head, “But how was he – ”

“Tom Riddle is Voldemort. I’ll explain it later,” Harry motioned to a still crying Ginny.

“You fought it? Like actually fought it? With no wand?” Ron was now smiling.

They all stopped as they heard steps echoing and Heather quickly explained her part in it all. Within seconds they were stopped by Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape along with a handful of other teachers with their wands held high.

“Harry already killed the basilisk,” Ron jerked his thumb back, proudly.

“What,” Professor Snape hissed and continued walking towards the Chamber entrance, leaving them with Professor McGonagall.

Harry and Ron gave each other looks of triumph.

Professor McGonagall was still looking as furious as ever, “Are any of you hurt?”

The four of them shook their heads.

“Good. Then Miss Potter, lead the way. Now.” Professor McGonagall motioned for a few of the other professors to follow Professor Snape.

Heather didn’t know how they’d get up the tube so she led them out of the right tunnel and into the left. It felt like an hour had gone by until they reached the flat landing that lead into the lake. She went up first and helped Ginny out, letting her join her on her broom and told Harry to call his own for him and Ron.

To their surprise, Professor McGonagall called her own broom – which was the same one as Madam Hooch’s except less beat-up. She sent out a blue orb of light down into the tunnel and made them fly back in front of her to the castle, with Fawkes at the very front.

The sun was well into the sky now, and Heather hoped breakfast was soon. They had been out all night and she was really starting to feel it in her body. Luckily Quidditch practices were far more intense than everything she had just done.

Professor McGonagall forced them up to the hospital wing anyways and to their delight, Hermione and all the other petrified students were gone and sent back to their dormitories. Madam Pomfrey forced them all to lay down in separate beds and one by one examined them, telling them they were ok – except Ron who sprained his wrist – and needed to rest.

At first Ron and Harry refused, wanting to see Hermione right away, but just as Madam Pomfrey was waving her wand over Ron’s wrist, he fell asleep. Harry sighed and tucked himself in, waving good night to Heather. She waved back and looked over at Ginny who was already snoring. Not even the thought of exams in two days could keep her awake, and she joined in the sound sleep.

Heather woke with a start as Mrs. Weasley entered the hospital wing, crying with joy. She sat up and watched Mr. and Mrs. Weasley running to hug a startled Ginny. Standing by the doors was Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Snape.

Heather rubbed her eyes and got up, walked over to Harry’s bed and shook him awake, “Harry! Look. Professor Dumbledore’s back and – ”

Mrs. Weasley ran up behind Heather and hugged her as well, squeezing her tight, “Oh, come here! Thank you, thank you!” She pulled Harry into a hug as well, “Come here as well, love!” Mrs. Weasley let go and pulled them both along towards Ginny and Ron who had moved onto her bed with her.

Mr. Weasley shook their hands, “How in Merlin’s beard did you do it?”

“Yes. Please let us all know how you managed to defeat a fourteen-foot-long deadly snake,” Professor McGonagall stared at them.

Even Madam Pomfrey had taken a seat near the professors to listen in on Harry explain everything – getting cut off with added details from Heather and some slightly exaggerated ones from Ron – filling them all in on basically the entire year. Ginny tried her best to answer all the questions on how she got mixed up in it all but at times her sobs were too much.

Heather could slowly see the worry and dread seep into Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape’s faces. After they got to the part about Aragog, Professor Snape took a seat and Professor McGonagall only put a tired hand on her cheek and shook her head at every word.

The only one who seemed unaffected was Professor Dumbledore, and Heather wasn’t too sure what to think of that. She supposed he must have known they were onto to something or else why keep them hidden in Hagrid’s shack and tell them that thing about Fawkes.

“How did you know?” Heather cut off Harry at his basilisk sword fight.

Professor Dumbledore smiled.

“How did he know what?” Harry looked at her and to Professor Dumbledore.

“The clue he gave us wasn’t a clue about the Chamber at all… It was advice. ‘my spirit remains as long as there are those who are loyal to me’ and ‘help will always be given to those who ask for it.’ You were telling us to ask Fawkes for help.”

“Heather, I can’t believe you solved it,” Harry smiled at her and laughed, “He saved my life.”

Professor McGonagall had heard enough and walked away, shaking her head and muttering angrily, followed by Professor Snape who was also angrily shaking his head. Professor Dumbledore chuckled at them as they exited the chamber and turned back to Heather and Harry.

“I need a word with you Harry. Tomorrow when you wake, please see me in my office,” Professor Dumbledore smiled and left the room, looking deep in thought.

After another hour the Weasleys had gone and the four of them were back in their beds, trying to catch as much sleep as possible after the day they had. In the morning Heather woke up to Harry getting ready to meet Professor Dumbledore.

“Wait for me,” she yawned and flattened her hair. “I want to go with you.”

Harry waited by the door and together they headed to the Headmaster’s office. They said the password and the gargoyle moved, letting them into the spiral staircase. They stopped at the torchlight opposite the office door.

“You’ll have to stay here, but I’ll tell you everything later.”

Heather nodded and watched as Harry knocked. She didn’t understand why Professor Dumbledore had asked for just him. She and Ron and even Hermione were as much a part of it as he was… and if it was because of Voldemort then she still had a right to listen in. Like always Harry always took all the attention.

Harry entered and Heather sat on the top step. Waiting.

#  **~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~**


	20. End of Term

#  **~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~**

Heather scraped her nails along the stone wall, picking at loose chipped rocks, when the gargoyle below opened up again. She stood up and leaned forward, watching a blonde head make its way up the spiral stairs.

A tall man dressed in extravagant dark robes with long slicked-back blonde hair met her eyes. She looked down at the cane in his hands, held more like a weapon around the middle than any aid device. There were two emerald jewels glittering in the eyes of the silver snake head mounted on the top of the cane.

She had almost forgotten what Lucius Malfoy looked like, having been described by the Weasleys and Draco many times before and seen him only once the night Hagrid was taken away, but there was no mistaking him. He walked the rest of the steps up and stood on the landing, looking down at her and sneered.

“You must be a Potter… Draco has told me of you.”

“Because of Quidditch?”

Mr. Malfoy smiled, “I hope you appreciate the Slytherin house and all it offers. Unlike the other houses… Slytherin can help you accomplish a great many things. Especially… if you already have great talents…”

Heather couldn’t shake the feeling he was looking for something. Several people throughout her first year had asked her if she was as powerful a wizard as Harry was rumored to be… She wanted to say yes, but the truth was neither of them were impressive.

Heather didn’t have a chance to respond. Mr. Malfoy was already opening the door to Professor Dumbledore’s office. Heather stepped back and bumped into something small. She turned around and saw Dobby, all bandaged up, waving at her as he followed Mr. Malfoy inside.

Heather followed Dobby in and frowned, watching the way he attempted to polish Mr. Malfoy’s shoes as he walked. She stepped inside after him and stood in the corner, not seeing the point in waiting outside any longer.

“Were the terms of your suspension not clear enough? You were not fit to return to Hogwarts!” He turned his head to stare at Harry and back to Dumbledore.

“They were, Lucius. Fortunately, however, eleven governors owled me asking me back at once. They were all under an odd impression that you’d curse their families if they didn’t side with you. Very strange. However, after hearing that another student had supposedly died, they asked me back right away,” Professor Dumbledore smiled.

“Yes. I heard. It’ll be all over the Daily Prophet this morning, I suspect… What I hadn’t heard, is who was identified as the culprit.”

Heather noted a hint of excited curiosity in his voice.

“That’s because it was the very same culprit who opened it the last time. Voldemort, except this time by means of his diary,” Dumbledore tapped on the black journal with the ink covered hole in it.

Heather inched forward towards Harry, watching Mr. Malfoy’s face carefully. He looked paler but didn’t say anything nor give any other reaction to Professor Dumbledore’s words. She glanced down at Dobby and noticed him signaling something, something that made him hit himself in punishment.

She nudged Harry and they both looked at the elf pointing at both Mr. Malfoy and the journal and looking at them with wider and wider eyes. Harry nodded in understanding and Heather felt very sick to her stomach. If Dobby was right, then the Malfoys’ hatred for muggles and muggle-borns were not something to take lightly, something she had been doing around Draco.

“Good thing the journal was recovered from the Chamber,” Professor Dumbledore’s voice cut through the stiff silence, “or we would not have been able to prove Ginny Weasley’s innocence.” He laughed, “What would have become of Arthur… and his job of course.”

“Very… fortunate,” Mr. Malfoy turned to leave, trying not to let his anger seep through.

“Liar,” Harry stepped forward.

“Excuse me? Who,” he rounded on Harry, “do you think you’re talking to?”

“Only the person that gave Ginny that book to begin with. At Flourish and Blotts the day you fought Mr. Weasley,” Harry glared at him hard.

Mr. Malfoy’s face was white with fury, “And how do you expect to prove that, Potter?” he hissed, practically spitting the words out.

Professor Dumbledore rose from his chair, stealing everyone’s attention, “In the end, it cannot be done…” he tilted his head down to look at Mr. Malfoy over his glasses, “Not this time. However, I do suspect – should anymore relics from Voldemort make their way into innocent hands – that Arthur would find a way to trace them back to their origins.”

Mr. Malfoy clenched his jaw and turned, kicking Dobby forward towards the door and descended the stairs in a hurry.

Harry ran up to the journal suddenly, “Can I have this?”

Professor Dumbledore nodded and Harry ran after Mr. Malfoy. Heather gasped and chased after him, fearing that he hadn’t given up his argument. Heather ran up behind him and was shocked to see Harry thrusting the book into Mr. Malfoy’s hands.

“That’s yours,” Harry stood back.

Mr. Malfoy scoffed, “Thank you for the gift, Potter,” he threw the journal at Dobby, “but that book is not mine. Now, I suggest you stay as far away from me and my son unless you want to join your foolish parents.” He glanced over at Heather and turned. “Dobby, get going.”

But Dobby did not move an inch. Heather looked at Harry, wondering what was happening.

“I will throw you into the fire to burn with the wood unless you MOVE,” Mr. Malfoy pointed forward with his cane.

“I am NOT yours anymore!”

Mr. Malfoy stepped forward, cane raised ready to strike him, “I am your MASTER and you’ll do – ”

“You have given Dobby a sock. Harry Potter had gifted you this book. You gave it to Dobby with this sock,” Dobby lifted the dirty sock off a page, “making Dobby free!”

Mr. Malfoy gripped the snake on his cane and stared at Harry, “You’ll pay.”

BANG

With a snap of Dobby’s fingers, Mr. Malfoy was sent flying backwards down the stairs and onto the second floor corridor. He stood up quickly and grabbed for the snake head but Dobby held out his fingers again.

“The Potters will not be harmed.”

Mr. Malfoy liked his lips and straightened his extravagant cloak, noticing a new tear in it. He stared at the three of them and swept away out of sight. Dobby turned around then and started jumping up and down, kicking his heels together and waving Harry’s smelly sock all around.

“The Potters have set Dobby free! Dobby is a free elf!”

“Are you really, truly, free Dobby?” Heather smiled, “You don’t have to serve anyone?”

“Truly free,” Dobby smiled back.

“Dobby, you said none of this had to do with ‘He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named’ but… it did.”

Dobby nodded at Harry, “A clue, to help you discover who the Dark Lord was.”

Heather and Harry glanced at each other.

“Well, we better get going. Hermione should be waiting for me in the tower.”

Dobby hugged them both and with a loud CRACK disappeared.

“Tell Hermione I missed her,” Heather headed down the opposite stairs as him, too tired to stick around any longer. She wasn’t so much physically exhausted, just very mentally tired of all the worrying and fighting that had happened in the last twenty-four hours.

Later that day, Harry, Heather, Ron, and Hermione were reunited at the feast. Heather sat closest to Harry, despite being separated and in their respective house tables. She found it weird, seeing all the houses except Slytherin rejoicing the end of the year’s terror. Draco was looking miserable and everyone else was just silently eating.

Heather looked back to watch the Gryffindors laughing and talking, although Ginny was nowhere to be seen. She looked back at her table, at all the gloomy faces, and saw some hidden smiles among her housemates. She held back a smile as well and bit into her chicken leg, noticing Hagrid was back and in his usual seat, drinking his usual whine and talking everyone’s ears off.

She happily finished her meal and was eyeing the ice cream when Professor McGonagall stood at the podium to announce all tests for sixth and fourth years and under were canceled – apparently fifth and seventh years still had tests but were given an hour extension on it.

There was loud cheering, followed by Professor Dumbledore taking up the podium next, looking around. The Slytherins sat up, knowing he was about to announce the Slytherins as the eighth year running House Cup winners. Harry may be the famous one in the family, but at least she had helped win the Quidditch Cup and helped secure the House one.

“Currently, Slytherin is in the lead,” he paused to wait for the Slytherins to stop cheering, “but I have yet to award final points to four very brave, individuals.”

Heather looked back at Hermione, Harry, and Ron, smiling at each other.

“Miss Hermione Granger, for discovering the identity of the beast, one-hundred points to Gryffindor.”

The Gryffindors banged on the table, hooting and screaming. The Slytherins knew it would only take a few more points for the Gryffindors to beat their house point totals. Heather stared at Professor Dumbledore, silently begging him not to continue.

“To Mr. Ronald Weasley, for your bravery against the Basilisk, two-hundred points for Gryffindor.”

The Gryffindors erupted into louder woots and yelps, lead by Fred and George Weasley of course. Heather watched as her housemates became more and more aggravated, listening as the House Cup slipped from their grasps.

“To Miss Heather Potter, for having the good sense of alerting the staff,” he eyed the Gryffindors carefully, “One-hundred points to Slytherin – ”

There was hardly any cheers from her table, and she quickly turned her back to the Gryffindors and the High table, staring at her food and feeling very strange suddenly.

“And finally, to Mr. Harry Potter, for your bravery against the Basilisk, and for saving the life of a fellow student, two-hundred points to Gryffindor.”

Heather gripped the table and looked up as Draco leaned forward over the desserts, looking as furious as his father had earlier.

“Shown up by the better twin once again, Potter?”

She stared at Malfoy, feeling her heart beating fast and face flushing with heat.

Professor Dumbledore interrupted the Gryffindor’s cheering, “By two-hundred and fifteen points, Gryffindor wins this year’s house cup – ” professor Dumbledore chuckled after the Gryffindors lost it, “breaking Slytherin’s record for the first time in almost a decade.”

If she had been the one to take the rightmost tunnel, and sent Harry and Ron into the left one, Slytherins would have won the House Cup. If she has been there instead of Ron, they would have tied. If she had scored more points –

“You’re a loser, Heather,” Pansy flung a cherry at her, hitting Heather’s forehead.

Heather looked around at the Slytherins, looking at her. Even Marcus looked angry and disappointed in her. Adrian was shaking his head and stabbing at his food and Draco only folded his arms and stared at her. He didn’t have to say what he was thinking. He’d already said it hundreds of times before.

She stood up from the table and walked out of the great hall, clenching her fists. She walked into the nearest girl’s bathroom and stood there, staring at herself. She had studied spell after spell against spiders and large creatures in preparation for the fight. She saved Harry’s life by getting Fawkes and solved just as much stuff as Hermione did… but she picked the wrong tunnel and missed out on the fight that earned Ron and Harry two-hundred points each.

She screamed and kicked at the wall beside the sinks. She fixed her hair and rubbed her eyes, heading back to her table and sat down, avoiding Pansy’s eyes. She felt a tap on her shoulder coming from behind and turned.

Harry was leaning as far back as possible, waiting for her to do the same before saying, “You missed it! Lockhart’s gone. He packed his bags and left last night while we were in the Chamber.”

Heather looked around at the teacher’s table and saw an empty chair and a very happy-looking Professor Flitwick, next to it. She wondered what Hermione’s excuse would be now, or if she’d finally realize how big of a fake he was.

The rest of the days left of term went by fast as students unleashed their relief and joy throughout the castle corridors and ignored Mr. Filch’s angry screams about confiscated items. Apparently Fred and George had redistributed all they found from Mr. Filch’s office to as many first years as possible.

Draco had also begun practicing Quidditch by himself the day after the whole school found out his father had been sacked from his position as school governor. The only other person not their usual self was Ginny, though Percy said she was still recovering from it all.

“Not this again!” Fred shoved the slip he had just gotten into his pocket.

“Every year. It’s like they think we’ll forget,” George crumpled it up and shot it into the air with a spell.

“‘End of year reminder that the use of magic is prohibited by minors and especially any resulting in the exposure of wizard kind.’ We don’t have to be told twice,” Heather elbowed Harry.

“Not like they know the difference between our magic and elf magic,” Harry dropped the paper on the ground.

Fred and George hugged Harry tightly and leapt onto the train.

Hermione picked up the slips on the ground, “I’m not sure Mrs. Weasley will appreciate you giving them ideas.”

All the cars were full except Ginny’s so the four of them joined her and shared all Heather and Harry could still afford to buy from the trolley witch with everyone. Heather sat back like normal and watched as things passed by them, feeling slight sadness creeping in the farther she got from the castle.

“Ginny, what was it you told Fred and George about Percy?”

Ginny blushed at Harry and looked at everyone else to answer, “Oh, well Fred and George were always following him down into the Dungeons… but you know who else was always in the dungeons? That Ravenclaw girl!” She started giggling, “So I followed her down and caught them KISSING.”

“That’s why the banner,” Heather laughed, “You told Fred and George and they were trying to embarrass Percy about it.”

“It took them almost all year! They’re so bad at sneaking around,” Ginny scrunched her face in disgust at a nasty flavored bean.

If they wanted to know so bad, they had the means to find out, but she guessed half the fun was in the chase. Heather thought about their map and the secret passages and kept her mouth quiet, knowing the second Harry found out he would want to borrow it always. If this year and the last one had taught Heather anything, is that Harry would always find trouble, and that she needed to study harder than Hermione in order to stay above her and Harry.

The train was much louder than the previous years, with left over excitement from the Gryffindors. She couldn’t even attempt a nap like always and joined in on their silly conversations about what mess they would get into the following year.

“None,” she crossed her arms, “I forbid it.”

“Me too,” Hermione smiled.

The train came to a halt in London and everyone got off as fast as they could. All of them sat for a bit – long enough for Hermione to suggest using a telephone next time to communicate – spending the last hour they had together before they were separated for the summer. Hermione spotted her parents and left them with long goodbyes. Heather and Harry followed the Weasleys to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and they talked for a bit longer until the Dursleys showed up.

That day back in Privet Drive, Uncle Vernon locked all their things in the cupboard and sent them to their rooms, as if punishing them for not being able to stay for the summer. He listed off new chores that needed to be done – obviously trying to keep them busy – and eyed them carefully.

“There will be ABSOLUTELY no FUNNY business this summer. You hear me?” he growled at them and shook his finger in their faces.

They nodded together and said, “No funny business.”

#  **~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~**


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